Looking after yourself when you’re using

Whether or not you want to change your drug use, you can still be healthy. Good physical health protects us against a stack of things.

Good physical health can protect our mental health and keep us feeling strong in tough times. Being in good health also improves our happiness. To stay physically well, some things you can do are:

• Get up and get dressed every day! Even if you are just staying home, if you can get out of bed and get dressed, you’ll feel a bit better
• Think about your diet – eating food from the fridge (fruit and veg) instead of food from the cupboard (processed foods) is an easy guide to healthy eating.
• Get outside! Even a walk to the corner and back can give you a burst of Vitamin D and fresh air
• Exercise – you may not feel like doing a lot, but doing anything will make you feel good. Take the stairs, walk to the next tram stop, take a stroll around the block
• Limit your time on social media – sometimes doom scrolling through social media doesn’t help your mind.
• Sleep – sleep can’t cure everything, but it can cure a lot of things! If you’re having trouble sleeping, try to reduce caffeine, sleep in clean sheets, have a shower before bed, and to turn off Facebook etc an hour before bed to help you unwind.
• Communicate – sometimes just telling someone what you’re thinking or feeling can give you energy

Maintaining your physical health gives you once less thing to worry about, as well as helping you to be strong enough to manage the worries you already do have.