IMPORTANT NOTICE
As of 1st April 2023, Brook is no longer delivering clinical services for young people in Southwark.
- Drug and alcohol support services will continue to be provided by Change Grow Live.
- You can use Sexual Health London for STI home testing and contraception.
- Please use Brook’s Find a Service tool to find the next nearest clinic to you or visit your GP.
HYP Southwark is here to help you be healthy, well and happy in all areas of your life. When you visit our services you can ask us for help and support with anything that is troubling you and even if we can’t help, we’ll try put you in touch with someone who can.
Whether you’re feeling low, anxious or stressed, your wellbeing can have a huge impact on your health and the decisions you make. It’s good to remember that most of us will feel like this at one time or another so you’re not alone.
If you are a young person in Southwark aged 10-24 and need support you can find information about HYP services on the find a service page.
If you are a professional looking to refer a young person to HYP Southwark please go to our referrals and support page for further information.
Find out about what we offer by watching this short video:
Improve your health and wellbeing
Stress
Stress can be caused by a number of factors, such as school, relationships or work and can often make it hard to focus or think clearly about anything else. This can then affect your sleep, concentration and appetite.
However, stress can be controlled. Learning to spot the early signs of stress such as nausea, a headache or fidgeting can help you to tackle the issue before it becomes overwhelming.
Find out more about how to deal with stress on the Brook and NHS website.
Self-esteem
Self-esteem is how you feel about yourself. Everyone has moments where you feel low about yourself, such as falling out with friends or not doing well at school but learning how to deal with these situations can improve your resilience and ability to cope in the future. Be kind to yourself, be honest and learn from it.
Your body
Your physical health can have a big influence on your mental health. If you feel good physically this can often help you feel good mentally. The below four factors tend to be the issues we all slip up on most often:
Alcohol: Whilst alcohol may cheer you up temporarily, alcohol is a depressant and may leave you feeling worse after.
Food: It may feel good to comfort eat when you’re feeling down but your body needs nutrients to feel better. Eating a healthy balanced diet can have a really positive affect on how you feel. Find out more about finding your perfect weight on the Brook website.
Exercise: Exercise is well known to cause your body to release endorphins and boost your mood. A 30 minute walk whilst listening to music also counts!
Sleep: Getting a good night sleep can have a massive impact on your mood. You should be getting 7 or 8 hours sleep a night – if you’re not, this could explain why you’re not feeling happy.
Talk to someone
It may feel daunting but talking about what is making you unhappy can really help. Talking to someone you trust can help to make the problem feel more manageable.
Five steps to happiness
These five simple steps are proven to make people feel happier:
- Connect with family and friends
- Be active, find an activity that you enjoy
- Learn a new skill
- Give to others
- Take notice (mindfulness)
Find out more about these simple steps on the Brook website.
Further support
Visit the below organisations for further information and support on your health and wellbeing:
A health and wellbeing service for under 25s in Southwark provided by Brook and Change, Grow, Live (CGL) and funded by Southwark Council.