Get enough sleep – when we have a late night or a bad sleep, we know how hard it is to perform at our best the following day. Getting sufficient sleep therefore is essential for our mental health as well as supporting our physical health. Try and get at least seven to eight hours of sleep a night. For more tips on sleep see our blog on sleep problems.

Stay active – regular exercise is good for our overall health but is particularly important to help lower the risk of problems such as heart disease, diabetes, mental illness, and obesity. You don’t just need to go to the gym to exercise. Regular walking, riding a bike, or swimming are great alternatives.

Eat a healthy diet – eating well also reduces the risk of the health issues listed above. A balanced diet of vegetables, fruit, lean meat or legumes, and mostly whole grains is recommended along with drinking plenty of water. See the guide to healthy eating link at the bottom of this page.

Manage stress – stress doesn’t just have an impact on our mental health it can also cause physical issues such as muscle aches and pains, indigestion, weight issues, and heart problems. For tips to reduce stress see our blog on work-related stress and burnout.

Get regular checkups – if you have a medical condition, you should be seeking regular treatment for it. You may need to take medication and follow a certain regime to manage it. Even if you consider yourself to be healthy and do not have any particular problems, it is important to get regular check-ups – especially for common illnesses such as bowel and breast cancer. Many employers offer medical insurance to enable you to have these checks or you can register for many of the free government screening programmes.