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Healthy Lifestyle and Wellbeing

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Healthy lifestyle and wellbeing support is about making small changes in your everyday life that – when they add up – make a big difference to your quality of life.

For some people, it can include helping you to eat better and exercise in a way that works with your busy day-to-day life, or to get better quality sleep and manage stress levels before you get overwhelmed.

This page explains the ways healthy lifestyle support can help you improve your mood, energy and wellbeing, and how we can help you find the advice and support you need to take the right steps.

More about healthy lifestyle and wellbeing

Why you might need some wellbeing and lifestyle support

Wellbeing and lifestyle support can cover a wide range of things including helping you eat more healthily and exercise more, quit smoking or have more energy to tackle the day.

For others, it might mean support with staying active as you get older or manage a long-term condition.

For children and young people, it can help with issues like fussy eating, high screen time, or managing big emotional changes, body image concerns and confidence as they get older.

You might be looking to make lifestyle and wellbeing changes for a number of reasons, including, struggling to set and keep routines for healthy eating and exercise, difficulty sleeping or not feeling rested after sleep, needing advice on nutrition and eating a balanced diet, needing help with setting exercise goals, especially if you have a disability or long-term condition, needing support with managing stress, fatigue, anxiety and low moods, wanting to cut back on how much you smoke or drink alcohol, feeling like your work-life balance is too uneven and wanting to keep your independence as you get older.

If you feel like you need to make changes, it’s always best to reach out and get support early. Issues like fatigue, stress, high blood pressure or being unable to sleep can easily build into bigger problems, but taking action sooner can help prevent that.

When you start trying to improve your lifestyle and wellbeing, remember that, making small changes that are easier to keep up, like small food swaps or a daily walk, work better than trying to change everything at once. Sleep, exercise, diet and emotional wellbeing are all closely linked – improving one usually helps the others. Healthy routines look different for everyone and it’s important to find what works for you, not copy what someone else is doing. Staying connected with friends and family can be just as important for your wellbeing as eating well and exercising.

Self-help

Things you can try today.

Questions and answers

How much physical activity do I need?
At first, aim for regular movement throughout the week, like a daily walk. It’s important to start slowly and not overstretch yourself, even if you don’t feel like you’re doing enough or making progress – the goal is to make small steps that add up, and you can build up your activity over time.
What can I do if I’m feeling stressed or overwhelmed?
If you can feel yourself becoming stressed or overwhelmed, it’s important to take small actions early to stop things getting too much. Try taking short breaks if you’re feeling overwhelmed by tasks, using grounding techniques including deep breathing and talking to someone you trust. You can find more tips and support on the NHS self help website – you can find a link to it on this page.
How can I improve my sleep?
If you’re struggling to sleep well or feel rested after sleep, there are several small steps you can take to help. Try to keep to a regular bedtime each night, avoid screens like your phone, tablet or laptop an hour before going to bed, and make sure to reduce your amount of caffeine like tea and coffee later in the day.
What should I eat to stay healthy?
You should aim for a balanced diet. That means eating a combination of fruit and vegetables of different colours, whole grains like oats and brown rice, and lean protein like eggs, poultry, seafood and tofu. Making small swaps like choosing water instead of sugary drinks can make a big difference.
How do I stay motivated?
The key is usually to set small, realistic goals and celebrate progress – try not to be too down on yourself if you’re not making huge changes straight away, and remember that small gains do add up. If you can, try doing activities you enjoy with others as this can help keep you motivated for longer.
What if I have a long‑term condition or disability?
Many healthy lifestyle changes can be adapted for people with long-term conditions or disabilities. If you’re already seeing a healthcare team about your condition, speak with them about any lifestyle changes you want to make and they can help you find ways of making them work alongside your needs.
How can I cut down on alcohol or smoking?
The best place to start is by keeping track of when you tend to smoke or drink alcohol, and note down anything that often leads to this – a craving when you’re stressed, for example, or socialising. We can help you find local support groups, health coaching and apps to help you meet your goals.
How can I manage my weight in a healthy way?
It can be daunting if you think that making healthy lifestyle choices means making big changes to your habits and what you eat. But managing your weight in a healthy way is more about making small changes that you can keep up over time. This might include moving more each day, reducing your amount of sugary food and drink, choosing more balanced meals and building regular, achievable routines.
What can I do to lower or manage high blood pressure?
There are several steps you can take to help lower or manage your blood pressure, including regular exercise, keeping your salt and alcohol intake low, quitting smoking and managing your weight and stress. That can sound like a daunting task, so it’s important to remember that small steps in each area can add up to make a big difference.

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