Four resources on MindSG to help you manage your mental health

Maintaining a healthy and positive mindset is an important topic of interest that many may struggle with. In recent years, there has been increasing focus on it. 

It helps that there are more resources about mental wellness available. MindSG is one of those resources readily accessible.

Launched in October 2021 by the Health Promotion Board, MindSG is an online website focused on providing a range of self-care services and resources to help you better understand and manage your mental health.

From helping you identify the current state of your mental wellbeing and providing tips on ways to improve it, to teaching you the best ways to check up on a loved one’s mental health, MindSG can become your go-to portal for mental health resources.

Here are five useful features you can access through MindSG.

While having a wide array of thorough information is good to have, wordy paragraphs may put most off from reading.

MindSG compiles salient details into easy-to-navigate sections, so you can find the exact information you require in seconds.

The ‘Discover’ page features the whens, whys, and hows on reaching out for help. There, you can read up on the six tips in asking for support, the five steps to reaching out to help others, and the three types of professionals you can consult depending on the varying levels of mental health care you require.

You can also watch a reassuring video about how there is nothing wrong with reaching out for external help.

The website’s ‘About Mental-Wellbeing’ section aims to educate on this commonly misunderstood topic. It talks about how mental health and mental illness are not the same, and that mental health is just as important as physical health.

For those aged 18 and above who would like a more personal reading and understanding of your current state of mental health, you can undergo a self-assessment, which comprises 16 questions based on The Singapore Mental Wellbeing Scale.

Do note that this is a self-assessment and not a medical diagnosis.

From cultivating a healthier sleep pattern to understanding depression, anxiety and OCD, the ‘Caring for Ourselves’ section offers self-care information and tips focused on eight different aspects of mental wellbeing.

With our bodies working differently as we grow, and requiring varying forms of care, the resources are split into four main age groups — teens, youths/young adults, adults, and seniors.

Each of these eight sections include background information, explanations on why such factors may affect your mental health, the importance of having control over it, as well as self-help tools.

Self-assessment tests are also available for certain sections, where you can analyse where your mental wellbeing may lie in regard to your stress levels or mental health issues like anxiety and depression. Through it, you can know how to get the best help you may require.

Humans are innately social creatures. But when in a bad mental headspace, some may feel that talking to others about personal problems may come off as burdensome.

Belle, the Beyond the Label helpbot, is an interactive platform for users that provides mental health resources and services in a private and convenient manner. Beyond the Label is a movement formed by the National Council of Social Service to address the stigma that people with mental health conditions face in society.

Reaching out for professional help when times get too tough to handle alone may be daunting to many, and most may not even know where to start. With Belle, you can get access to various helplines and services, informative videos and reads, and more.

You can chat with her on the web, or on Facebook Messenger.

It’s important to remember that your mental health is just as important as your physical health. And seeking help when you need it is more beneficial than bottling things up.

With MindSG, you can learn more about supporting yourself and your loved ones.