Awareness days and campaigns
Show your support, get involved and help to make an impact in mental health through awareness and campaigns.
Throughout the year there are a number of campaigns and fundraising events for a variety of mental health problems, wellbeing concerns and emotional support for physical health problems.
Check out the list below of some of the campaigns going on in the next few months.
Surviving or thriving? Mental Health Awareness Week 8-14 May 2017
This Mental Health Awareness Week, 8-14 May 2017, we are going to look at mental health from a new angle. Rather than ask why so many people are living with mental health problems, we will seek to uncover why too few of us are thriving with good mental health. With people struggling to cope with the demands of life and stuck on getting through the day, we will explore:
- how many of us are surviving or thriving, and the difference between the two
- why some communities are under strain and what can be done to support them to thrive
- what steps we can take to look after our mental health, building resilience to cope with the demands of life.
The Mental Health Service have a week of events which we have based on the Five Ways to Wellbeing.
Including lectures and displays (Keep learning and Take Notice) , a variety of physical activities (Be active) , Tea and Talk at Manannan Court (Give and Connect).
Throughout the week we will also highlight the personal stories of people who are surviving or thriving.
For more information go to Mental Health UK
Why not hold your own event for Mental Health Awareness Week?
Many of us experience daily life as a struggle. Balancing managing our jobs and our family life, paying our bills and dealing with daily stressors; all of these can sometimes threaten to overwhelm us.
Good mental health is about much more than just the absence of mental health problems. It is the capacity of each of us to feel, think, and act in ways that enhance our ability to enjoy life and deal with the challenges we face. It is living life to the fullest and feeling able to cope with the stresses and challenges everyday life brings.
This Mental Health Awareness Week we want to focus attention to the ways in which the demands of everyday life can undermine our ability to stay mentally well. By looking at aspects of our lives that help us to thrive, we can rediscover ways to build resilience and increase our ability to cope, building our resilience and in-turn leading us to have to better mental health.
Tips to help you thrive
Being mentally healthy doesn’t just mean that you don’t have a mental health problem. If you have good mental health, you can make the most of your potential, cope with life and challenges that come your way, and play a full part in your family life, workplace, community, and social circles.
Here are some tips from the Mental Health Foundation on how to look after your mental health:
- Talk about your feelings – this can be difficult but it isn’t a sign of weakness. Talking can help you cope with a problem, deal with times you feel troubled and stay in good mental health.
- Keep active – exercise helps to keep you healthy, both physically and mentally. It can boost your confidence and improve your mental health, so it’s good to try to find an activity you enjoy and make it a part of your regular routine.
- Eat well – Your brain needs a mix of nutrients in order to stay healthy and function well so a diet that’s good for your physical health is also good for your mental health.
- Drink sensibly – Drinking alcohol is not a good way to manage difficult feelings. Once the alcohol wears off it can leave you feeling worse due to its effects on your brain and rest of your body. Stay within the recommended daily alcohol limits of three to four units for men and two to three for women.
- Keep in touch – Keep the lines of communication open with family and friends – they can make you feel cared for, keep you grounded and help you solve practical problems.
- Do something you’re good at – Concentrating on something you love doing can help take your mind of worries for a while. Give yourself some ‘me time’ for relaxation or a hobby such as gardening, sketching, playing sport or doing puzzles – this can help beat stress.
- Ask for help - if things are getting too much for you and you’re struggling to cope, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Your family or friends might be able to offer practical help or a listening ear but remember there are also local support services available to you.
How resilient are you?
Attempting to understand the factors that influence your mental health is a good way of beginning your journey to better resilience. Please have a go at the checklist to identify the areas of life that influence your wellbeing (from the Mind How To, Mental Wellbeing booklet). You can then start to think about possible solutions that might help.
You can also use the Resilience Plan below the checklist to make some notes in order to help form your own personal strategy.
My Resilience Plan
So you have answered those questions. Have you noticed some things in your life that are not as you would like them to be?
Use these to reflect on what is working for you and what isn’t.
- Things that have a positive effect on my life
- Things that have a negative effect on my life
Think about how you might be able to change the things that don’t work and experience more of the things that do.
- Things I could try to improve my situation
- Who might I ask for help
How to look after your mental health
Mental and Physical heath: when considering mental health and physical health, the two should not be thought of as separate. Poor physical health can lead to an increased risk of developing mental health problems. Similarly, poor mental health can negatively impact on physical health, leading to an increased risk of some conditions
