Taking action

Mental health is a precious resource and deserves as much attention as physical health. That's why it's important to think about ways of looking after your mental health and about what makes you feel good.

What can I do to feel good?

Here are 10 ways to help you achieve a state of wellbeing:

  1. Talking: Talking about your feelings, problems and experiences with your family, friends or community can help relieve pressure and bring new perspectives or solutions to light. It can also be helpful to talk and share in your own language.
  2. Participate/get involved: in a community, community centres, language/dance/singing/sports classes, etc., by sharing your wishes, interests, fears or hopes for things that are important to you, by taking part in community projects, etc
  3. Don’t give up/Overcoming life’s challenges: The key to overcoming life’s challenges (shock, grief, trauma) is time, concentrating on your most important tasks and making time for yourself and others, accepting the support that is offered.
  4. Self-acceptance: understanding your body and the signals it gives you so that you can make choices that are in your best interest, setting your limits, knowing and accepting your strengths and weaknesses.
  5. Engage in creative activities: to express your desires, fears or other thoughts that are difficult to articulate, to release tension, to relax and to regain your strength. Do activities that you enjoy, that you used to do in your home country, and have a space of your own where you can explore and create.
  6. Relax: A state of calm and relaxation enables you to appreciate things and people better and to make informed decisions. Take time for yourself, do some activities on your own and without your children to take a break from family life and recharge your batteries.
  7. Learn new things: to take a break from everyday life, boost your self-esteem and explore new ideas. Learning a language can help you become more independent and autonomous, meet people with similar backgrounds and make new friends. Learning something new can be stimulating and rewarding and give you a sense of personal achievement.
  8. Be physically active: to clear your head, relieve pressure and get away from the stresses of life. A minimum of 30 minutes a day or 2.5 hours a week is recommended.
  9. Stay in touch with friends: to take a break from everyday life, get out of the house and meet new people. Talking to friends helps you feel heard and supported, and receiving constructive criticism helps you become a better person, find solutions and open your mind and perspective.
  10. Ask for help: To avoid feeling alone, understand and recognise your own limitations. Ask for support and help when things aren’t clear, for example to resolve a situation (‘peer support’ between parents and their network). Asking for help with life’s challenges is not a sign of weakness, it takes a lot of courage.
    Bonus: Healthy food and a quiet, screen-free, stress-free environment at mealtimes can also contribute to wellbeing.

The importance of community

During certain transitional periods, such as moving to a new country or getting to know a new culture, it is common to feel lonely, isolated and sometimes even a little lost. To ease these moments, your local community can provide invaluable support: you can speak your own language, get and share information and advice to help with administrative procedures and integration in general. It is also a good place to connect with others who have had similar life experiences. Community events are an opportunity to get together, share happy moments, take a break from everyday life and let off steam. Community is an important resource for coping with life’s challenges and feeling fulfilled.

However, it is important to remember that your community should not be your only resource. It is important to be open to the wider society in your host country, for example by meeting new people and interacting with your neighbours. This kind of social interaction helps to alleviate loneliness and does a world of good.

Tips for everyday life

This website contains a range of suggestions for making your everyday life more enjoyable (advice, yoga exercises and programmes, information leaflets, etc.).

Here you’ll find all the information you need on everyday matters (health, social security, school and education, etc.).

This brochure summarises the different aspects of the Swiss healthcare system.

Swiss associations offering help and support

A number of associations provide assistance:

For legal assistance:

Language barrier

  • Getting in touch with associations or organisations can be difficult when you don’t speak the local language. A number of aid associations (e.g. Caritas, the Red Cross and OSAR) can provide interpreters to help you communicate in your mother tongue.
  • There are also interpreting agencies, listed at www.inter-pret.ch, that provide community interpreters. They can accompany you to administrative, medical or legal appointments.
  • Your local community can also offer support with administrative formalities or in contacting a doctor, for example.
  • There are also free applications that can be handy for translation and communication:

Associations and organisations by canton

Fribourg

Geneva

Jura

Neuchâtel

Ticino

Valais

Vaud

Useful general information

  • Swiss Red Cross: help with everyday matters
  • Information brochure for refugees and provisionally admitted persons
  • Information video on daily life in Switzerland (with text reading option)
  • The fide page contains a list of accredited language courses

Traumatism

  • This video gives advice on how to overcome the impact of trauma on everyday life.
  • A self-help  guide for refugees has also been produced in various languages to help people overcome trauma. Exercises to help you feel better are featured here, along with some yoga exercises.