May 18, 2020
During the past few years, there has been a growing awareness and understanding of the importance of mental health. But the current global pandemic is really shining a spotlight on the struggles people of all ages may be experiencing.
Mental Health Awareness Week is organised by the Mental Health Foundation, a UK charity which works to prevent mental health problems. They aim to drive change towards a mentally healthy society for all, and support communities, families and individuals to live mentally healthier lives, with a particular focus on those at greatest risk.
Regarding this year’s theme of ‘Kindness’, the Mental Health Foundation say: “One thing that we have seen all over the world is that kindness is prevailing in uncertain times. We have learnt that amid the fear, there is also community, support and hope. The added benefit of helping others is that it is good for our own mental health and wellbeing. It can help reduce stress and improve emotional wellbeing.”
SFCS will be supporting this annual campaign by sharing resources and useful links throughout the week on our social media platforms. We hope the information we share will support our followers and help them to focus on their own mental health at a very difficult time.
We would love you to keep in touch with our Facebook and Twitter pages this week, but we have also included a few useful links below for those who aren’t able to participate on social media. Just click on the orange text to visit the external websites.
The Mental Health Foundation
The Mental Health Foundation organise Mental Health Awareness Week, but they offer advice and support all year round. This link will take you to a wide range of downloadable resources to help you look after your own mental health.
Mind
Living with a mental health problem can often have an impact on day to day life, making things that others might not think about a bit more difficult. Mental health charity Mind have a host of resources which could help you on their website, but this link offers an A-Z of tips to help you cope with day-to-day life.
Every Mind Matters
Every Mind Matters is an online NHS service which helps you manage and maintain your mental health. The site gives you simple and practical advice to get a healthier mind and get more out of life – from how to deal with stress and anxiety, to boosting our mood or sleeping better.
Young Minds
Young Minds is the UK’s leading charity fighting for children and young people’s mental health. Their website and Twitter feed are full of useful information and advice from young people who have struggled with their mental health
Place2Be
Children may be feeling particularly unsettled & anxious right now. Place2Be is a charity which provides mental health support to children in schools, but this link offers advice for supporting your child’s mental health at home.
If you’d like to get involved and spread the message of kindness and positive mental health, the Mental Health Foundation have produced a downloadable Supporter Pack. It’s full of useful ideas for acts of kindness – for yourself, your family, your friends and your community. These might be done online, over the phone or in person… socially distanced, of course! And if you want to support the online campaign, you can use the hashtags #KindnessMatters and #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek when posting on social media.
Thanks for your support.
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