News

Mental Health Awareness Week 10-16 May 2021

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week – an annual event giving the whole of the UK the chance to focus on achieving good mental health. This year, the theme is connecting with nature and how nature can help us to improve our mental health. This week is also an opportunity for people to talk about ANY aspect of mental health.

Connecting with nature was chosen as nature is known to be an effective way of tackling mental health problems and of protecting our wellbeing. Research conducted by the Mental Health Foundation has shown that being in nature has been one of the most popular ways the public have tried to sustain good mental health over the last year of the pandemic.

So, this week, why don’t you try to make a habit of connecting with nature every day?! Why don’t you take a moment and stop to listen to the birdsong, smell the freshly cut grass, take care of a house plant and notice trees, flowers or animals nearby? Take a moment to get outside and reconnect with the world around you – especially when so much of our contact this year has been virtual.

You can find out more about Mental Health Awareness Week here, including how you can get involved and top tips for connecting with nature.