Mental Health Awareness Week

May 18, 2020

This week we are marking Mental Health Awareness Week. This year’s theme is kindness which aptly ties in with our COVID-19 response.

A helpful subject to think about during this week is the difference between mental health and mental illness. We all have mental health in the same way we all have physical health. We can have poor mental health, if for example we are suffering from stress and it is disrupting our daily life, however this doesn’t mean we are mentally ill. In the same way we can have physical health conditions, for example high cholesterol, which isn’t an illness in itself, however, if it is ignored it could lead to problems further down the line. It’s important to realise that the same principles apply to our mental health in the same way they do our physical wellbeing.

Mental health is something we all have all the time, by being aware of it and looking after it we are more likely to stay mentally healthy during our lives.

The following short video from the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Charities is specifically aimed at younger people; and explains mental health in more detail.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=754__xBsak4

#Kindnessmatters