Mental wellbeing
Some mental illnesses, such as depression and anxiety, are common. It is estimated that one in four people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year.
If you have such an illness, it’s important to get the right treatment. However, there’s more to good mental health than avoiding or treating mental illness.
Positive mental wellbeing
Having good mental wellbeing does not mean that you will never experience feelings or situations that you find difficult. But it does mean that you feel you have the resilience to cope when times are tougher than usual.
There are five main steps you can take to help improve your health and wellbeing:
- Connect with other people
- Be physically active
- Learn new skills
- Give to others
- Mindfulness – attention to the present moment (mindfulness activities)
How we can support you
Group wellbeing support
One-to-one wellbeing support
Our practitioners can work through different tools which you can put into practice to help improve your mental wellbeing including:
- the positive mental wellbeing wheel
- 12 positive steps to wellbeing
- five steps towards living well
- relaxation techniques
Groups, drop-ins and events
We also offer general wellbeing drop-ins and events, including coffee mornings, Menopause groups, and craft sessions. At these sessions, you can find out more about how we can support you to improve your health and wellbeing, as well as making new friends in a welcoming space.
Visit the What’s On page for more details about where these sessions take place.
Looking for events, groups or activities near you?
We’re here to help
If you need support or have a question, don’t hesitate to get in touch
How we've helped
Lorraine, aged 61, shares how a simple visit to Healthworks in Easington became the starting point of a life-changing journey, one that helped her rediscover confidence, self-worth and a renewed sense of identity. “I first met David when I was a 60-year-old woman living with pre-diabetes and, if I’m honest, feeling like I had lost myself....
As part of the Wellbeing for Life (WBFL) Ten-year Anniversary celebrations, we caught up with a previous client to see how the service has positively impacted his life. Richard Judd first met WBFL through the community work he was doing in the Consett and Leadgate area. He set up a running club for people hadn’t really...
We recently met with Kieren Kemp, a 26-year-old who overcame significant mental health challenges with the support of Wellbeing for Life (WBFL). Kieren’s story highlights the importance of personalised support and the impact of addressing both mental and physical wellbeing in tandem. Kieren had been through a difficult time in his life, leading him to a...
Retired 66-year-old Shaun Dickinson, has lost 44 pounds in weight and reversed pre-diabetes. He has gone from a self-confessed overweight couch-potato to having the inspiration to change his eating habits and join a gym, thanks to support from Wellbeing for Life. We had the opportunity to chat with Shaun recently about his experience with Wellbeing for...
Local man and 15/19th The King’s Royal Hussar Veteran, 57-year-old Andy Denholm brought his blood pressure into healthy range, lost an incredible three stone and three pounds, improved his Body Mass Index (BMI) and mental health and is now embarking on a stop smoking programme. He achieved all of this with the support of the team...
Mental wellbeing resources
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Leaflet -
App or toolStay Alive
Stay Alive is a suicide prevention resource full of tools and resources to help people stay safe from suicide. -
Useful link -
Useful linkDurham Community Action’s work is divided into 5 main themes –helping communities, promoting better health, supporting volunteering, enabling enterprise and getting voices heard. -
Useful linkHaving good mental health helps us relax more, achieve more and enjoy our lives more. There are simple things we can all do to look after our...
Brought to you by Wellbeing for life
Offering advice and training to support behaviour change and improve health, wellbeing and learning opportunities.
