Top tips to keep a healthy headspace this Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day can lead to many mixed emotions. Some are excited to celebrate their relationships and others may be reminded about past relationships or a recent break up.

headspace recognises that it can be hard when relationships end for young people and that there are a plethora of emotions one can go through during this time which can sometimes affect your mental health.

However, headspace reminds young people that during these times it can be important to prioritise looking after yourself. There are things that you can do to make these hard times a little easier to handle. 

Nick Duigan, Senior Clinical Advisor at headspace provides the following tips:

1. Give yourself some space. You don't need to shut your ex out of your life but it might be helpful to try to spend some time apart for a while after the break-up – this can mean online, too.
   
   
2. Keep busy. You might find yourself with too much free time on your hands, especially on weekends. Plan ahead and do things that you usually enjoy.
   
   
3. Take time out for you. Do things that you find relaxing, like watching a movie, playing or listening to music, meditating, reading or playing sport.
   
   
4. Try not to use alcohol and other drugs to deal with the pain. While they might help you feel better at first, the after-effects are likely to leave you feeling much worse.
   
   
5. Give it time. Allow yourself time to cope with the change after a break-up and try and get regular sleep and exercise.
   
   
6. Break-ups are incredibly painful, and can feel like the end of the world. However, we know that young people are very resilient and commonly people can work through them in time, without any serious problems. Sometimes a break-up can lead to someone experiencing other problems such as depression. 
   
   
7. These feelings can have a big impact on your daily life and stop you from doing the things you enjoy. If it’s been longer than two weeks and it’s having a major impact, it’s time to take action.
   
   
8. If you’re struggling to move on after a break-up, or if you feel unsafe in any way, it’s important to talk things through with someone you trust. This may be a friend or family member. If you'd prefer to talk to someone outside your family and friends, your general practitioner (GP), a counsellor, or someone at your local headspace centre can provide you with confidential support.
   
   

For media enquiries please contact: Stephanie Fonti, headspace Communications Coordinator on 0413 025 385 or sfonti@headspace.org.au.