19 May mental health awareness week
mental health is everyone’s business! we all have times when we feel down, stressed or frightened. most of the time those feelings pass, but sometimes they develop into a more serious problem – this can happen to anyone at any time!
everyone is different and after feeling down or stressed you may bounce back, however someone else experiencing the same feelings may suffer for a longer time. please always remember that mental health doesn’t always stay the same, it can change depending on circumstance or different stages of life.
studies have found that 1 in 6 people experience a common mental health problem every week, these symptoms have been divided into groups called either ‘neurotic’ or ‘psychotic’ symptoms.
‘neurotic’ – severe forms of ‘normal’ emotional experiences such as depression, anxiety or panic.
‘psychotic’ – these symptoms are less common and interfere with a person’s perception of reality. they can include hallucinations such as seeing, hearing, smelling or feeling things that no one else can.
the mental health organisation have chosen kindness for the theme this year. this is because of its extraordinary ability to unlock our shared humanity and because kindness strengthens relationships. is proven that from every culture across history, that kindness is something that all human beings need to experience and practise to be fully alive!
studies have found that acts of kindness are linked to increased feelings of wellbeing. helping others can improve our support networks and encourage us to be more active. this, in turn, can improve our self-esteem. there is some evidence to suggest that when we help others, it can promote changes in the brain that are linked with happiness.
throughout this pandemic we have all shown acts of kindness every day! from simple asking if someone is okay, to giving someone a gift or asking a neighbour if they need anything – globally we are all practicing kindness & making this world a better place!
during mental health awareness week try to:
- reflect on an act of kindness. shar kindness during the week using #kindnessmatters and #mentalhealthawarenessweek
- use resources such as family, school, workplace and community to join with thousands in practising acts of kindness during the week
- share ideas on how to build a kinder society that would support mental health using #kindnessmatters and #mentalhealthawarenessweek
if you would like to read more on mental health please visit https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/mental-health-awareness-week