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Mental Health Awareness Week
Date Published: 15/05/2023
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Take Notice
Taking notice can help us appreciate the world around us. Finding time to be aware of the present moment can help you to positively change how you’re feeling about life.
Consider these ideas to change how you feel each day.
- Do something creative
- Have a tidying hour
- Try a different route to or from work
- Sit in a new place for lunch
- Get a plant for your work place
- Take some photos of the world around you
- Enjoy the moment
- Ask someone how they are feeling
- Listen to a new piece of music
- Be curious
It might be as simple as taking five minutes from your day to appreciate something new or noticing the seasons changing.
Connect
Feeling close to and valued by other people is a basic human need, one that fosters wellbeing and is beneficial for mental health.
With this in mind, try to do something different today and make a connection.
- Eat your lunch with a colleague
- Arrange a day out with friends you haven’t seen for a while
- Speak to someone new today
- Call someone instead of sending an email
- Speak to someone new
- Ask someone how their weekend was
Take a few minutes to try something different to change how you feel each day.
Be Active
Across all age groups, regular physical activity is associated with lower rates of depression and anxiety, contributing to better mental health overall and promoting well-being.
- Walk into work, or take advantage of the Cycle to Work scheme
- Do some easy exercise like stretching before you leave for work in the morning
- Walk to someone’s desk instead of calling or emailing
- Take the stairs not the lift
- Go for a walk at lunchtime, perhaps with a colleague so you can connect as well
It doesn’t need to be intense. Slower-paced activities, such as walking, can have the benefit of encouraging social interactions as well providing some level of exercise.
Keep Learning
Engaging in work or educational activities helps to lift people out of depression. Lifelong learning enhances self-esteem and encourages social interaction and a more active life.
- Sign up for an adult education class
- Read a book on a topic you are interested in
- Do a crossword or sudoku
- Learn a new word
Find out something about a topic you know nothing about,
through learning you can gain new skills, find a hobby, meet new people, build confidence and much more.