There are some things that you can do in the meantime...

Being on a mental health waiting list can feel disheartening, but there are some proactive steps you can take in the meantime to support your wellbeing. Firstly, exploring self-help resources can be incredibly beneficial. Websites like Mind and NHS Every Mind Matters offer valuable advice on starting to manage symptoms through self-care techniques and lifestyle changes.

Engaging in regular physical activity is another effective way to boost your mental health overall, although when you're depressed or anxious you might think that going to the gym is the last thing you want to do. Remember that exercise releases endorphins, "happy chemicals" that improve your mood and reduce stress and anxiety levels, any that means any exercise or movement at all. Find a buddy to help encourage you to do something - even as simple as walking the dog will help, and bonus points if it gets you outdoors - and try to establish a routine that includes activities you enjoy, as this can provide a sense of normalcy and control.

Connecting with others, whether through support groups or talking to friends and family, can provide comfort and reduce feelings of isolation. Online platforms and community groups, including some on social media, offer spaces to share experiences and coping strategies, but be wary of online negativity - if a space or platform is making you feel worse, not better, stay away from it. Mindfulness and meditation have also proven to be useful tools in managing mental health. Free apps like Headspace or Calm provide guided sessions that can help in cultivating a practice of mindfulness.

Wherever you are in your journey with achieving good mental health, you are not alone. There are things that you can do to take control right now, whether you are on a waiting list, unsure about seeking support, or able and willing to invest more proactively in your wellbeing. Picking up on early signs of poor mental health can speed up your recovery and place you on the path to a healthier, happier life.

Find out what good mental health should look like

Firstly, it's important to establish where you sit on the panic barometer. Some people self-diagnose and are prone to catastrophising, others dismiss early signs of a brewing storm only to be pole-axed when thunder strikes.

"The stereotypical picture of happiness that is often portrayed in media can be unrealistic and difficult to sustain. The full spectrum of human emotion is dismissed in a bid to achieve a peak of pleasure. Happiness isn’t one-dimensional. It’s more than a feeling… We don’t want to over-medicalise normal life experiences.

If something happens that you don’t want to happen, you’ll feel bad about it… even jealousy, anger and fear are useful emotions. However, when the frequency, duration and intensity of your emotions starts to take up so much of who we are and starts to overtake our functioning and our relationships, one needs to stop and think: Is this something that I can manage on my own?"
- Dr Chetna Kang, psychiatrist and BBC presenter

Improving our understanding of what good mental health should feel like can help us to have a more balanced approach.

Explore educational resources at your own pace

This seems intuitive and you might have read numerous self-help books already. Yet mental health research keeps evolving and support is becoming more tailored. Here are a couple of useful resources developed by our practitioners:

• The Happiness Half Hour is a podcast based on the Science of Happiness course, developed by Prof Bruce Hood and available on BBC Sounds. Expect to learn about how poor we are at predicting how much suffering or enjoyment we may get from an activity, why people are more interested in connecting with us than we’d expect and why more of us than we’d think (as well as dogs!) come to believe that they have no choice in life but to suffer.
• Stay Balanced While You Study and How to Grow a Grown-up by Dr Dominique Thompson are two books aimed at students or parents, respectively. These resources will help you find out what are the unique pressures facing this generation of young people and how to manage them.

"Whilst waiting for treatment or assessment can be a little stressful, there are still actions you can take to look after yourself, and feel more in control of the situation. This will hopefully reduce your anxiety, and make you feel better. I wrote my books to help people to help themselves whilst taking steps to improve their situation. I hope they help you."
- Dominique Thompson, the UK’s leading GP in student mental health.

Explore options for one-to-one support

There is no one-size-fits all in terms of achieving good mental health. CBT, EMDR, psychodynamic therapy, music therapy, dramatherapy, art therapy, body psychotherapy, coaching, nutrition, personal training - there is a lot out there that could benefit your mind and your body. The question is – what’s right for you right now?

Platforms like Augmentive can offer more rapid and frictionless access to professional support in many forms, from finding a psychiatrist to just getting a free initial consult to evaluate what options might work for you. Sometimes this can include lesser known practices which open up options you might not have considered before. For example, did you know that you could combine massage with therapy?

"Beyond talking, Body Psychotherapy involves various techniques, from breathing exercises, guided movement and visualisation to using props and art materials as a means of expression. What sets this therapy apart is the option of working with touch - a powerful and potentially transformative medium in the context of psychotherapy. Psychotherapeutic massage can help an individual regulate their nervous system and experience safety in the touch and in their body. As such, this therapy is especially beneficial to those experiencing suffering on a somatic level - be it through anxiety, depression, trauma or chronic illness.”
- Anna Cromack, body psychotherapist

Join a wellness class

As well as special events by expert speakers, many mental health and wellness practitioners organise and run classes, some of which can be very cheap or even free. From classes that help you discover what's holding you back, pre and post natal baby psychology, diaphragmatic breathwork, meditation to sexual embodiment, these classes can help you learn something new about yourself, quieten your mind, or help you connect with people with whom have a similar mindset.

Is it time to prioritise your mental health?

We are all free to decide how to tackles life's challenges. If you were going to run a marathon, you would almost certainly train or engage with professional help to prepare for the challenge. So if your goal is to be functioning at your best in your home and work life, why not prioritise investing in expert wellbeing and performance support if you can afford it? Are you happy to splash out in a pub or in a hair salon, but would baulk at spending the same amount on your mental health? What would it take for this to change?

Allocating a set time to looking after your wellbeing on a weekly basis is an important step forward and a much undervalued investment. Are you ready to invest in your mental health?

Whether you’re feeling off-kilter or want to shake up your routine, our state-of-the-art mental wellbeing platform gives you quick and seamless access to world-class support on your terms, from private psychiatric assessments to helping you find a therapist near you for support on your journey.

DISCLAIMER: The content published by Augmentive is not designed to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent any disease or condition. Always consult your GP or a qualified healthcare provider with any questions regarding a medical condition and before starting any therapy, diet, exercise, or any other health-related programme.