Do One Thing
World Mental Health Day 2020
2020 won’t be many people’s favourite year. It’s been a tough one for us all. The months of lockdown and loss have had a huge impact on our mental health.
According to Mind’s research, with over 16,000 people, we know that more than half of adults (60%) and over two thirds of young people (68%) said their mental health got worse during lockdown.
Each year Mind BLMK support over 4,000 people across Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes. Since March, we’ve seen over a 20% increase in people accessing our services. We know that many have developed new mental health problems as a result of the pandemic and, for some of us, existing mental health problems have gotten worse.
Prioritising mental health has never been more important than it is now.
If the months of lockdown and loss have taught us anything, it’s that few of us want to go back to exactly the way things were before. We want to change the way our world works.
So this year, we want to bring everyone in our local community together to Do One Thing to mark World Mental Health Day on 10 October.
Whether you’re looking to take the first steps towards getting some help, find the best way to reach out to those around you, or campaigning for a fairer world for those of us with mental health problems -– now is the time.
Making simple changes or taking small steps to prioritise our mental health doesn’t need to be complicated or take up loads of time. But it can be hard to know where to start sometimes.
At Mind BLMK, we’ll listen, we’ll give you support and advice, and empower you to feel better. So this World Mental Health Day, Do One Thing for better mental health – start with us.
Access support
As your local mental health charity, we understand your needs and we tailor our services to match. During the pandemic we’ve been adapting our services to continue providing you with the right support.
Our services include talking therapies, peer support, mentoring, crisis support, employment support and wellbeing activities. Nobody should face a mental health problem alone.
Whether you’re struggling with your mental health, living with a mental health problem, supporting someone who is, or know of someone who is struggling, accessing the right support can be vital.
- Find out about our services
- Get help and support for you or someone you know – click the Get support icon in the top right hand corner to fill in a self-referral form
- Have any more questions? Get in touch.
Do one thing to better your mental health
Whether it’s going for a walk, learning a new skill or doing something creative; take the opportunity for yourself to do one thing this World Mental Health Day:
- Talk to someone over the phone instead of sending them an email
- Speak to someone new, maybe the cashier at your local shop
- Put five minutes aside to find out how someone really is – try to actively listen
- Have a cup of tea with someone
- Do some ‘easy exercise’ that feels good, like stretching
- Go for a walk at lunchtime and focus on taking in your environment
- Take some time to stop what you’re doing and look outside; notice the change in the seasons
- Spend a chunk of time clear out any clutter in your home
- Try to find out something about a friend, family or colleague that you didn’t know
- Do a crossword or puzzle
- Research something you’ve always wondered about
- Start a new book
- Get a new plant and learn how to care for it
- Do something nice for a loved one, or a stranger
- Thank someone, either verbally or by writing them a letter or note
- Take ten deep breathes, breathing right into your belly – count for five seconds in, 7 seconds out and notice how you feel after
- Smile
We’ll be sharing these small actions people can take on our Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram, so help us spread the word by sharing our posts in your stories or by reposting.
Share your tips
Do one thing so others can see that they’re not alone in the challenges they’re facing.
On 10 October, you could use our templates for Instagram and Facebook stories to share your tips for looking after your wellbeing. Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram and Facebook using our tag @MindBLMK, so we can share your tips too.
Spread the word
There are lots of different ways we help and support our local community with their mental health. Why not do one thing today and spread the word; have a conversation about mental health with someone over email, on the phone or in person, and mention the services that we have available to them if they feel they need support.
Posted on: 29th September 2020
