It’s Mental Health Awareness Week
Mental Health Awareness Week takes place from Monday 13th to Sunday 19th May 2024.
This year’s theme, as set by the Mental Health Foundation is “Movement: moving for our mental health.”
Being physically active is great for our bodies and our minds.
Exercise has been proven to reduce anxiety and depression, and it can help us to prevent physical illnesses. Sadly, people living with mental illness die on average 20 years younger than the general population, often from avoidable physical illness. This group is more likely to develop preventable conditions like diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.
Research from Mental Health UK state that 56% of people found that exercising regularly helped them to alleviate stress and prevent burnout in their lives.
Despite the evidence that keeping physically active can promote good mental health, we know there are barriers preventing us doing so, like accessibility, time, money, body image, lack of open space, or the negative connotations we might commonly associate with ‘exercise’ itself.
This Mental Health Awareness Week, we want you to ‘move’ for your mental health.
Movement doesn’t need to be going to the gym, running a marathon or taking part in a team sport. It can be as simple as stepping off the bus a stop early, moving a 1-2-1 meeting to a walking call, giving your child a push on a park swing after school, or dancing in your kitchen while you cook dinner.
We have lots of activities going on throughout the year including many walk and talk groups so please keep an eye out and we hope to see you soon. Find
You can find lots of information, resources and tips to help you get active, on the Mental Health Foundation website at www.mentalhealth.org.uk
