Mental Health Awareness week takes place 18-24 May on the theme #KindnessMatters.
The work of the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) is focussed on prevention through mental health awareness and they claim:
“Our knowledge, informed by rigorous research and practical based study, has been pioneering change for more than 70 years and we aren’t afraid to challenge the status quo or tackle difficult or under researched issues.”
Here are their suggestions for 10 Practical Ways to look after your mental health:
- Talk about your feelings
- Keep active
- Eat well
- Drink Sensibly
- Keep in touch
- Ask for help
- Take a break
- Do something you’re good at
- Accept who you are
- Care for others
As Soroptimists we’re especially interested in number 10 – Care for others…The MHF’s report “Doing good does you good” can be read here, their evidence shows that helping others is actually beneficial for our own mental health and wellbeing. It can help reduce stress, improve our emotional wellbeing and even benefit our physical health. At Soroptimist International of Lichfield & District, all our activity centres around precisely this!
We’ve been focusing on mental health since it was the Federation President’s theme a year or so ago, and we’re lucky to enjoy a session with Sheila McMahon a local mental health counsellor and comedienne who really helped us pick apart the issues and understand them better for the sake of our own mental health and that of others. In addition the work of our Planet sub group has majored on the benefits of the natural environment for good mental as well as physical health.
Caring for others is all about #KindnessMatters after all – whether it’s kindness to living creatures or the planet we live on – it benefits us all in the end.