Mental Health Awareness Week: 10-16 May 2021
This Mental Health Awareness Week, it’s time to step up the fight for mental health.
Mental Health Awareness Week runs from Monday 10 May to Sunday 16 May 2021. This year, join the fight for mental health.
Together, we’ve achieved so much. We’ve been there for those who need help and we’ve been there for each other too. We’ve given our time, our hearts and our souls and we’ve changed the conversation around mental health.
But during this pandemic, millions of us have experienced a mental health problem, or seen a loved one struggle, for the first time in our lives. Some of us have seen our already fragile mental health plummet, while the support networks around us disappear. We’ve seen our friends, our partners, our parents, our children and ourselves struggle.
That’s where you come in. This Mental Health Awareness Week is your chance speak out, to spread the word and make change happen.
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Donate
Speaking out isn’t the only way you can help. Through giving a donation, you can help support, protect and save lives.
Hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, Mental Health Awareness Week, the theme this year is ‘Nature’.
How can nature benefit my mental health?
Spending time in green space or bringing nature into your everyday life can benefit both your mental and physical wellbeing. For example, doing things like growing food or flowers, exercising outdoors or being around animals can have lots of positive effects. It can:
- improve your mood
- reduce feelings of stress or anger
- help you take time out and feel more relaxed
- improve your physical health
- improve your confidence and self-esteem
- help you be more active
- help you make new connections
- provide peer support.
“I’ve been getting out into nature and walking, either on my own or with dogs, to manage my bipolar disorder for years. It helps to keep me calm and physically healthy, and I love taking the time to be mindful of all the beautiful green spaces around me, even when living in a city. Watching the birds and squirrels always has a calming effect and takes me out of my own head.”
“I love watching the garden change, the difference I make when I dig a bed, plant something or even cut the grass… and honestly I am no gardener! An easy way for everyone to connect with outside is to watch the birds – put a bird feeder to attract them. Otherwise just get outside, blow the cobwebs away, breathe deeply… bliss.”
“The daily walking can help me organise my thoughts…It’s helped me become more aware of my environment.”
“Being outside, feeding rabbits, talking to the donkeys, ‘socialising’ goats and looking after sick lambs is incredibly grounding, no matter what my state of mind… being outside getting muddy in all weathers, breathing fresh air, proudly talking to visitors about the animals and being part of the seasonal cycle of a farm has been life-changing.”
For them, for us and for you – we must take this chance to step-up the fight for mental health. That means fighting for change, for fairness, for respect and for life-changing support.
