Mental Health Awareness Week is the UK’s national week to raise awareness of mental health and mental health problems. It seeks to inspire action to promote the message of good mental health for everyone. Mental Health Awareness Week will take place from 10-16 May 2021 and is an event hosted by the Mental Health Foundation. The Mental Health Foundation have organised and hosted Mental Health Awareness Week for the last twenty-one years. During this time the event has grown to become one of the biggest awareness weeks across the UK and globally. It’s an opportunity for people to talk about all aspects of mental health, with a focus on providing help and advice.
The theme of the 2021 Mental Health Awareness Week is ‘Nature‘. Having access to nature and being able to benefit from it’s many advantages is a key part of keeping good mental health. We’ve seen just how important nature is during the last year especially. Being able to go for walks and enjoy the beauties of nature during a time of stress and anxiety has alleviated many people’s lives during lockdown. However, not everyone is able to enjoy nature, and Mental Health Awareness Week wants to explore those barriers, ensuring that everyone has a chance to share in the natural world and reap the benefits to their mental health.
How can I promote mental health awareness?
- Talk with everyone you know, asking friends, family and colleagues how they’re doing – and really listen to their answers.
- Encourage kind language
- Educate yourself about mental illness so that you can pass on your knowledge to those in your circle. It’s pretty common for people to misunderstand mental illness, so educating yourself on common misconceptions prepares you to have those conversations. This should include talking with children about mental health in age-appropriate terms. Children aren’t immune to mental illness and can experience conditions like depression and anxiety at an early age.
Click the link below to read The Mental Health Foundations top tips on connecting with nature.
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/mental-health-awareness-week/tips
To celebrate the week, Mind are offering a programme of live and pre-recorded online wellbeing sessions incorporating elements of nature, aimed at helping you connect with the environment in a variety of ways: through art, mindfulness and visualisation, planting and growing, foraging and even through enjoying a refreshing cup of tea!