• Check out the links on our healthier lives webpage
• Grow your social support network
• Get a good night's sleep
• Older people community mental health
• How to deal with low mood and sadness
• Help for carers looking after people with mental health conditions
• Find out more about Parkinson's

Memory loss can be annoying if it happens occasionally, but if it’s affecting your daily life or is worrying you or someone you know, you should seek help from your GP. Get in touch with your medical practice if you experience any or all of the following:

• You forget things more often
• You forget important events such as appointments or social engagements
• You lose your train of thought or the thread of conversations, books or films
• You feel increasingly overwhelmed by making decisions, planning steps to accomplish a task or understanding instructions
• You start to have trouble finding your way around familiar environments
• You become more impulsive or show increasingly poor judgment
• Your family and friends notice any of these changes

Some medications can cause side effects that affect how your brain works. These side effects may go away once the medication is stopped. It's important to discuss any side effects with your GP and never stop taking your medications unless your GP tells you to do so.

Good mental wellbeing is important for all of us. There are things we can do every day to help our mental wellbeing:

• Begin a conversation – communication is key to wellbeing
• Make time for friends - invite friends over or meet up
• Keep in touch - connect with others in person, by phone or message
• Get involved - look up local activities and community events
• Do something every day – plan things to look forward to
• Help others – volunteering can be a great way to stay involved and meet new people
• Exercise - is good for the body and good for the brain

What's good for our body is also good for our brain:

• Eating a healthy diet
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Exercising regularly
• Not drinking too much alcohol
• Stopping smoking (if you smoke)
• Making sure to keep your blood pressure at a healthy level
• Getting enough sleep, including a day time nap if you need one
• Keeping socially active with friends and family
• Keeping your mind busy:
  • learn new things
  • hobbies
  • volunteering
  • clubs
  • gardening
  • read books
  • attend plays and concerts
  • solve puzzles
  • learn a language