Our mental wellbeing is of huge importance as it has an impact on nearly every aspect of our lives. As we get busy or face challenges in our lives, it can be something we overlook or forget to make time for. Here are our top tips from our medical experts here at Healthwords on how to keep a check on your mental wellbeing and help yourself stay healthy. Good mental wellbeing does not mean you will always feel happy, but it can help us cope better with the challenges we face in day to day life. Aiming for contented is more realistic. Our first top tip is exercise. You may not look forward to exercising, but it can give a substantial boost to your mental wellbeing. Increased blood flow to the brain increases brain cell growth and the generation of new connections. Endorphins and dopamine are released, helping make us feel good and giving us better sleep. Resilience to stress is improved and it has a positive impact on symptoms of depression and anxiety. It helps posture, too – the better you hold yourself when you sit or stand, the fewer aches and pains you get, but evidence shows that you also feel more confident and content in yourself.

Epilepsy is a condition that affects the brain and causes seizures. These seizures happen because of unusual electrical activity in the brain. Epilepsy can affect lots of people and can have a significant impact on their lives - it doesn't just affect the person who is experiencing epilepsy but also their family and friends. Living with epilepsy can be tough. People with epilepsy can have occasional problems with their memory, mood, energy levels and daily activities. They might also have a hard time at school, work, and general social activities. It's essential to learn about epilepsy so you can understand it and how it affects people with the condition and the people around it. It can also help people with epilepsy to feel more supported and valued. If you or someone you know has epilepsy and is untreated, it's worth seeking help from your doctor. Treatments available can help manage seizures and improve quality of life. Remember, you are not alone. With the right support, you can live a happy and fulfilling life, no matter what challenges you may face.

What can I do or take to relieve stress? Exam time is undoubtedly a stressful time. It’s important not to let stress affect your well-being. Make sure you are taking time out of studying to look after yourself, setting a block of time to exercise, rest, relax, and do something you enjoy. Make sure you drink fluids, eat well-balanced meals and get enough sleep. Taking a mental break gives your mind time to recover, so studying is more effective. Exercising or practising mindfulness are also great stressbusters and can positively affect your mental well-being. If you feel yourself panicking, pause, and breathe. Panicking does you no good and makes you feel worse. The best thing you can do is keep calm and level-headed. If you ever feel overwhelmed or unable to cope, talk to a friend, family member or even your doctor. You can also reach out to your school or university for support.

Miscarriage is the term used if you lose your pregnancy before 24 weeks of gestation. Most miscarriages occur in the first trimester, or before the 13th week of gestation. Sadly, miscarriage is far more common than people think. One in every four to five pregnancies will end in miscarriage. It's an incredibly difficult and emotional experience. It brings physical, psychological and social challenges. People often wonder why it has happened, and whether they’ve done anything wrong or could have done something to prevent it. Most of the time, there is no obvious reason for a miscarriage, and you should reassure yourself that there’s nothing you could have done differently or better. You should also take heart from the fact that a miscarriage, even multiple miscarriages, does not mean that you are not going to carry a pregnancy to full term and become a parent.

GAD-7 is a questionnaire that is used to help assess the presence and severity of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD). There are 7 questions (hence the name GAD-7) which ask about different symptoms and how often you experience them. The questions ask how often you have been bothered by these symptoms over the previous 2 weeks: Feeling anxious, nervous or on edge Not being able to stop, or control, worrying Worrying too much about different things Trouble relaxing Being so restless that it’s hard to sit still Becoming easily irritable or annoyed Feeling that something awful might happen. The score is calculated by assigning scores of 0, 1, 2, and 3, to the response categories of “not at all,” “several days,” “more than half the days,” and “nearly every day,” respectively. GAD-7 total score for the seven items ranges from 0 to 21. Scores of 0-5 show mild anxiety, 6-10 moderate, 11-15 moderately severe anxiety and 15-21 severe anxiety Anxiety is a feeling that occurs when someone feels under threat or stress. It is a natural response to a threat that actually can at times be helpful and has helped with the survival of humans across the ages. However, if it is excessive, persistent or affecting people's daily life then it may be an anxiety disorder. Generalised anxiety disorder is characterised by anxiety around lots of different things (usually everyday occurrences) rather than anxiety relating to one specific thing or situation.