Self-help program

Being active adds a sense of control to life and promotes wellbeing. The activities do not have to be big. Basics daily activities, such as cooking, exercise, cleaning and taking care of yourself, are all activities.  

• Coping with these basic activities provides rhythm to your daily life and brings pleasure almost without you even noticing it.  

• Being part of a work or study community and social relationships provide content to life.  
• Exercise and other hobbies give pleasure. 

Activity should be in balance with your own resources, abilities and opportunities. Do you feel like you have enough meaningful things to do? If you answered “no”, think about what you would like to add to your life.  

Take good care of your social relationships. Contact with other people is important. Discussing matters, doing things together, or just being presentreduces stress. Who are the people that are important to you? Do you have enough contact with them? Even just one friend is a precious thing. Your family and relatives are important networks. 

Do you long for new relationships? Establishing new social relationships can be challenging at first. However, it is important to boldly go out and observe your environment. You can find new friends through work or studies. It is possible to meet people interested in the same things in hobbies, communities or clubs. 

A regular sleep-wake rhythm and adequate sleep are important. The need for sleep is very individual, and it varies according to age, genetics and activity. An adult's need for sleep is often defined as approximately 7–9 hours a day. 

If you don't get enough sleep, don't try to stimulate yourself by consuming too much coffee or other caffeinated beverages, because too much caffeine can increase anxiety. 

Mielenterveystalo.fi also has a self-help programme for insomnia at. 

Exercise helps to release the excitement and state of alarm that anxiety can cause in the body. Exercise also relieves physical symptoms of anxiety, such as nausea and tremors. Do you think you are moving enough at the moment? 

If you want to add exercise to your daily life, you should make an exercise plan in your calendar. Remember that it is easier to take up comfortable exercise. Exercise does not always have to be brisk walking, but it can also be incidental exercise or even picking berries or playing ball with a friend. 

We recommend that you exercise for at least 3 x 30 minutes during the week. Even a small amount is always better than nothing. Often, the most important thing is to get started! 

Varied nutrition maintains good functional ability. The brain is an important organ for human activity. Eating well provides energy for your brain and body. Good eating habits improve concentration, coordination, motivation, memory and stress tolerance. A regular meal rhythm also sets the pace for the day.