The main goal of volunteering is to help others. But it turns out volunteers also benefit from their charitable activities. Over the years, many studies have shown volunteers experience greater fulfillment, better health, and improved overall well-being.

Here are some things you can try that may help to look after your mental health and wellbeing:

• Do things with others. Spending time with family or friends, meeting new people and getting involved in activities can make a difference to how you feel. Get involved in community activities, kick the footy around, go for a bike ride etc.
• Do something creative. Activities or hobbies can keep you distracted, have a positive impact on your sense of mental health and wellbeing and can help increase your confidence and self-esteem. This could be building something, playing an instrument, gardening, art, doing a puzzle, painting, cooking, writing etc.
• Invest time in relationships. Connecting with people and investing in good relationships are important for your mental health. Get in touch with people who you trust or feel good around. Give them a call, send them a message or organise to catch-up with them.
• Focus on strengths. Having positive thoughts can help you feel better.
• Take time out. When you relax, you give yourself permission to let go of worries for a while. Relaxing gives your mind and body time to recover from the stresses of everyday life. Try some relaxation apps to guide you on how to relax.
• Sleep well. We cannot function properly without sleep. Sleep helps us to repair and restore our bodies and minds.
• Keeping active. Your physical health plays a key role in keeping you mentally healthy. Being physically active can improve your mood and reduces stress.
• Eat well. Nutrition and eating well can make a difference to the way you feel and in-turn may improve your mental health.
• Mindfulness. Mindfulness can help you feel better and reduce stress. It is easy to fit into your day. You can do it one minute at a time.  

• boosting your mood, concentration & alertness
• improving your sleep
• providing a distraction from unhelpful thoughts
• giving you a chance to socialize and meet new people
• increasing your energy
• improving blood pressure, cholesterol and reducing your blood sugar
• preventing or reducing anxiety and depression.

Nutrition
Eating well is important. When it comes to mental health, what you eat can make a difference to how you feel.

Eating well helps maintain brain health throughout your lifespan.5 Eating a balanced, wholesome diet can improve your mental and physical health.

There are little things you can do to eat well for your mental health such as:

• Eat lots of vegetables - vegetables and legumes (e.g. beans and lentils) are rich in nutrients and fibre.
• Eat for your gut – the gut is sometimes called ‘the second brain’, therefore it is important to keep the gut happy by eating healthy foods that contain probiotics.
• Avoid processed sugar and additives. Highly processed food has been linked to poor mental health.
• Relax and enjoy a balanced and healthy diet.
• Be mindful of what foods you are eating.
• Eat wholesome nutritious foods.
• Snack on healthy foods. When you feel like a snack, try a healthier option such as nuts or fresh fruit.
• Drink plenty of water and avoid sugary drinks. Drinking enough water regularly helps prevent dehydration which can make you irritable.

Mindfulness
Mindfulness is about being in the present (i.e not dwelling on the past or worrying about the future). It can help you feel better, reduce stress and improve your wellbeing which in turn has shown to have many health benefits.

Mindfulness is easy to fit into your day. There are a number of mindfulness programs designed to help you deal with stress and the challenges of daily life.