A Take On Mental Health Awareness Week

Today marks the last day of mental health awareness week here in the UK. I wish I'd taken the time to discuss the idea of mental health a bit more on Instagram or even followed other bloggers in marking this important week with daily content. To be honest, I've seen some fantastic posts from the likes of @politicsblog and @navigatingtwenties who opted to celebrate and educate their followers in an informative, exciting and accepting way. So why post stuff that would compete with the already fantastic coverage out there?

Of course, mental health awareness week should be every week of the year. But the chance to support each other and shine a spotlight mental health couldn't be more perfectly timed.

Despite the fact we can't leave the house to socialise or seek face to face support, we can still support each other by keeping DM's open and continually contacting people we're worried about. It may be harder to be there for people, but we can do it!

If you're looking for ways to look after your friends or your own mental wellbeing, from the viewpoint of a mental health first aider, then click the link here.

During the lockdown, mental health is so so important. It's going to be harder to socialise and communicate with loved ones, but it's also a chance for us to work on self-growth; lockdown is our chance to nest, grow and upskill. In light of this, I thought I'd create something a little bit different for mental health awareness week. Instead of posting about my own mental health journey, I want to share essential blogs and organisations that aim to break the taboo on discussing mental health.

I've mentioned briefly on this blog that I used to do PR for a charity which aimed to help young adults. My time there was very short, my experiences were mostly unpleasant but still moulded me as a person. While I worked there, the whole team were trained to be mental health first aiders, which is a fantastic way to support the transition to therapy and support people recovering from trauma (as so many girls who walked through our doors were). As a result, I discovered a whole range of fantastic resources that can be accessed online that I thought would be more beneficial to share.

I hope you enjoy it.

The Blurt Foundation

I absolutely love The Blurt Foundation and still subscribe to their email marketing list. The social enterprise aims to shine a spotlight on depression.

"Think of us as the knowing nod. You've seen it – a slight bob of the head, often accompanied by a smile. A little movement that says, "I understand", "I'm listening" and "I'm here for you". That's us.

We really understand how devastating depression can be. Jobs come to an end, relationships break down, and lives can be lost, all through the effect of depression. That's why the work we do here at Blurt is so important – it not only changes lives but saves them. It is difficult, but talking about depression is really important. We think people who've experienced it know best, so we're passionate about peer support – connecting those who have been through depression with those who are currently struggling, to provide reassurance and comfort during a terrifying time. It's that knowing nod thing again.

Mental health is just as important as physical health, and we're working hard to get that message out there. We raise awareness, provide tools and knowledge to help proactive recovery and challenge the stigma that prevents people from reaching out for help. We work closely with medical practitioners, employers, schools and companies to help them understand depression, what it means and how they can support those affected by it."

Like most charitable enterprises and organisations, The Blurt Foundation relies on the donations to continue their work. However, The Blurt Foundation also offers loads of cute products, pick me ups and services which help them maintain their hard work. The buddy box subscription box is my favourite example; the buddy box is made for anyone who needs a boost, and a pick me up, check out more about it here.

Mind

Mind is probably one of the most well known mental health resources out there. Unlike The Blurt Foundation, they choose to focus on mental health as a whole. Seeking support, proper resources and respect for those struggling with mental health.

"Every year, one in four of us will experience a mental health problem. But hundreds of thousands of people are still struggling.

We believe no one should have to face a mental health problem alone. We'll listen, give you support and advice, and fight your corner.

When you're experiencing a mental health problem, supportive and reliable information can change your life. That's what we do. We empower people to understand their condition and the choices available to them through the following:

Our Infoline, which offers callers confidential help for the price of a local call.

Our Legal Line, which provides information on mental health-related law to the public, service users, family members/carers, mental health professionals and mental health advocates.

Our award-winning publications and website, now certified by the Information Standard."

Mind is already providing support from those struggling with their mental health during the current pandemic, if you wish to find more information on their support at this time, click HERE.

Time To Change

Time to change I didn't know about this initiative until recently, but they've been around for a decade! I love how aggressive it's approach is. Take a look at what they have to say about themselves here:

"Time to Change is a growing social movement working to change the way we all think and act about mental health problems. We've already reached millions of people and begun to improve attitudes and behaviour.

Despite the progress we've made, we know that many people still don't consider mental health relevant to them. They don't believe mental health problems are likely to affect them or people they know.

But the reality is that mental health can affect anyone. Statistically, 1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health problem in any given year. That's why our work is so important. No one should have to fear being treated differently because of a mental health problem."

I really recommend reading through their free resources, if it's not for your own benefit then for others.

Bloggers

Here I just wanted to shine a spotlight on some mental health awareness week blogs that are really worth checking out.

Navigating Twenties- Grief

"This week is ‘Mental Health Awareness’ week within the UK. This years overarching theme is kindness and, over on my instagram i’m sharing a little act of kindness i’ve done each day– i challenge you to do something kind for yourself or someone else today and for the rest of the week. Alongside this I wanted to engage in a very open conversation about my own experiences with mental health in order to encourage, educate and to hopefully make somebody reading feel a little less alone. "

Politicsblog- Male Suicide

"What does it mean to be told to “man up”? To act masculine? To not show emotion? To not cry? To be strong for your family? To provide for them?"