ON Time to Talk day, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board is encouraging local residents to continue talking to each other and break the silence around mental health.

Residents from Gwent have already been maximising communication methods with loved ones which has helped improve their mental health during the Covid19 pandemic.

According to a recent YouGov survey, over a third (37 percent) of those living in the area, said keeping in touch with family and friends has helped sustain or improve their mental health since the start of the pandemic.

The findings come as the Welsh Government is encouraging people to ‘help us, help you’ by practising self-care and adopting small changes to help improve mental well-being, particularly at a time when levels of anxiety are higher than usual.

With video-chat platforms including Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Skype experiencing significant growth over the past year, it’s hardly surprising that online quizzes and group chats have become a regular diary entry for people when physical contact isn’t an option.

As well as using online platforms to continue keeping in touch with loved ones, experts are also urging people to utilise traditional methods like telephone calls and sending cards in the post.

Professor Jon Bisson, deputy director of the National Centre for Mental Health (NCMH) and director of Traumatic Stress Wales, said: “During this time of severe isolation for many, social support is a key part of staying well.

"Thankfully, we have lots of ways to maintain contact with people even if it can’t be in person.

"Telephone and video calls are good ways to stay in touch and for us to feel supported.

"We have a number of resources available on our website that we hope will help you be informed about your mental health, and help you stay well during the pandemic.”

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For free advice and support on how to look after your mental well-being please visit Aneurin Bevan University Health Board’s page on mental health and well-being.

Keeping active during the pandemic has helped nearly a third of local residents protect their mental wellbeing.

While the traditional benefits of exercise have been to improve and maintain physical fitness, more recently, the benefits of exercise to improve mental health has come to the fore.

Exercise decreases the stress hormones such as cortisol and increases the body’s natural ‘feel-good’ chemical endorphins, which naturally boosts your mood when released during exercise.

Alun Thomas, chief executive of Welsh mental health charity Hafal, said: “At Hafal we continue to provide vital support every day to thousands of people with a mental illness across Wales.

"With the help of Welsh Government funding, we are also delivering our Promise that no one in Wales affected by a mental illness need be alone; this is achieved by providing a range of flexible support either in person, on the phone, by email or via our online community Clic.”