Mental Health Awareness Week

15th May - 21st May

This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week, running from 15th May to the 21st May, is themed around Anxiety.    Anxiety is a normal emotion in us all, but sometimes it can get out of control and become a mental health problem.

 

Lots of things can lead to feelings of anxiety, including exam pressures, relationships, starting a new job (or losing one) or other big life events. We can also get anxious when it comes to things to do with money and not being able to meet our basic needs, like heating our home or buying food.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety can affect us physically and mentally. If you are feeling anxious, you might notice your heart rate increasing, headaches, loss of appetite, breathlessness or chest pain. (If you are experiencing these symptoms, you should see a healthcare professional to rule out another physical cause). Anxiety might make you feel tense or nervous, find it hard to relax, feel tearful or have problems sleeping and concentrating. Friends or family might notice you are more irritable than usual, or more withdrawn. Or perhaps you seem fine on the outside but feel panicky inside.

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health problems we can face. In a recent mental health survey, we carried out around stress, anxiety and hopelessness over personal finances, a quarter of adults said they felt so anxious that it stopped them from doing the things they want to do some or all of the time. Six in ten adults feel this way, at least some of the time. On a positive note, anxiety can be made easier to manage.

Mind have some top tip to support you with self-care

We all lead busy lives - so sometimes self-care can take a back seat when it shouldn’t. We wanted to create a simple resource reminding you of small ways that you can practice self-care!

 

Make sure to take some time away from your computer screen. Frequent breaks can help to boost your mood.

Try and make the effort to spend some time outdoors. Nature can work wonders for our mental health!

Make the time to connect with family, friends and those around you. Support Networks are crucial for our wellbeing.

Remember that it’s OK to say no to things. No one can do everything, so make sure to set your own boundaries.

Try new things! A sense of achievement from conquering something new can be a great way to boost your spirits.

Give back to your community. Giving to others can be a great to give ourselves a positive mental boost.