Mental Health Awareness Week 2021
Changing Lives, One Job at a Time
This week is Mental Health Awareness week. It’s a week dedicated to encouraging people to have genuine conversations about how they are feeling.
This years’ theme is Nature
and there is positive research to support the role that nature can play in supporting our mental health. According to research by Mental Health Foundation, going for walks outside was the top coping strategy for people during the pandemic. 45% of people also reported that being in green spaces had been vital to supporting their mental health.
The Mental Health Foundation has put together a variety of videos, blogs and top tips around how people can connect with nature to benefit their mental health – check them out here
to see how connecting with nature could benefit your mental health.
The NHS' Every Mind Matters resources provide simple practical tips and videos from experts on dealing with COVID-19, stress
and anxiety, boosting your mood, sleeping
better and what you can do to help others. They also have a free Mind Plan
that can get you started and show you some simple step to help improve your mental wellbeing.
Sport and physical activity is another way of supporting your mental wellbeing. With the national restrictions easing, our partner, Get Berkshire Active, have put together a list of resources to help support you in your return to physical activities - discover more here.
Employment is another area that can benefit your mental health. Having a job can improve self-esteem and confidence, while also reducing psychological distress. An article
by The Health Foundation states that unemployment causes stress which can lead to long-term physiological health effects and have negative consequences on people’s mental health. We know this to be true from our own experience of working with people who struggle with their mental health.
If you are struggling with your mental health and wanting to find employment, Ways into Work may be able to support you on your journey to employment. Find out more about how we work with job seekers
and if you are eligible for any of the projects we are commissioned to deliver here.
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