Residents in Cumbria are being urged to take care of their own personal health.
To mark "Self Care Week", the Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust are raising awareness of how local people can maintain good health.
They're giving advice to people on how to look after minor ailments and how illness can be prevented by being healthy.
Salli Pilcher, Associate Director of Nursing from CPFT comments: “On a daily basis we can do lots of simple things and make small changes to help us keep healthy. Things like taking regular gentle exercise, eating a balanced diet and maintaining a healthy weight can help us all to improve our general wellbeing, mood and resilience.”
“Seeking practical advice to treat common ailments from your local pharmacy, NHS Choices, or through health checks at your local GP Practice can all help you to gain a greater understanding of how you can prevent long-term conditions. You can get advice about type2 diabetes, heart disease and Chronic Pulmonary Obstructive Disease and many other conditions.”
“Also for those who are eligible, making an appointment to have your flu vaccination can protect you and your family against the serious effects of flu and associated complications.”
Here are some more tip from Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to Self Care for Life and help to prevent avoidable conditions:
- Move more! You don’t even have to join a gym, just walk the dog, leave the car at home, ignore the bus, take the stairs, dance around the kitchen table, go for a walk!
- Stop smoking! One of the best things you can do for your health is to stop smoking. Ask your local pharmacist about stop smoking services.
- Sleep. A good night’s sleep is essential to good physical and mental health so don’t burn the candle at both ends, make sure you get at least 7 hours sleep a night!
- Eat well. It is vitally important that we get the nutrients we need and avoid excessive amounts of salt, fat and sugar. Information is available from the NHS Choices website or ask your pharmacist for advice on managing your weight.
- Relax. We have such busy lives that we sometimes forget to take time out to relax, but it is essential for our physical and mental wellbeing. Find time in the day to be still and quieten your mind, holistic exercise such as yoga can also be helpful.