It’s Mental Health Awareness Week, from Monday 11 to Sunday 17 May and this year’s theme is Action, reminding us that while raising awareness is important, positive change happens when we take action too.
Led by the Mental Health Foundation, the week highlights how even small actions can help us feel more hopeful and less powerless – and when we take action together, those positive steps become even more powerful. Making time for mental wellbeing and self-care, and embedding small, supportive actions into your everyday routine, can help you feel better and more resilient.
The theme encourages everyone to take action:
- For yourself – by choosing one positive step that supports your mental health
- For someone else – by helping to build kinder, mentally healthy communities
- For everyone – by supporting action that helps ensure good mental health for all
The Five Ways to Wellbeing are simple steps you can take to help you feel more positive and able to get the most out of life. Here in Devon, you can find plenty of inspiration for making changes that are good for you – and for others.
Connect
Good relationships and connecting with others are important to build a sense of belonging and self-worth and for sharing positive experiences.
As well as connecting with people, connecting with the natural world around us can help us to feel revived and relaxed, helping our mental health and wellbeing by reducing our stress and anxiety levels. Naturally Healthy May is the perfect time to get out and explore Devon’s green spaces, coast and countryside.
Be active
Being active is not only great for your physical health and fitness – it can also boost your mood. Devon has plenty to offer if you want to build a little more movement into your daily life.
Active Devon works together with local communities and partners to connect, advocate and enable people to move more, offering fun and healthy ways to get and stay active with activities, campaigns and events for everyone.
Changing the way you travel can bring benefits to your wellbeing and the environment. If you are looking for top walking tips, local walking & cycling trails and car sharing opportunities then Travel Devon has plenty of ideas.
Learn
Learning new skills and trying new things can improve your mental wellbeing by boosting self-confidence and helping to build a sense of purpose. Learn Devon offers a range of courses for adult learners.
Connect 5 training aims to improve population mental wellbeing by changing the way we have conversations about mental health and wellbeing. The training provides practical tools and techniques that can be applied in everyday life.
Give
Acts of giving and kindness can help to improve your mental wellbeing by creating positive feelings, a sense of reward and increased self-worth.
Devon Connect is an online community hub that helps people connect with their communities and promotes social action. You can search the Volunteering Opportunities page for a range of ways to get involved in projects across your local area.
Notice
Paying more attention to the present moment can improve your mental wellbeing. This includes your thoughts and feelings, your body and the world around you – sometime referred to as “mindfulness.”
Taking notice of the nature and wildlife around you while you are out and about is a good place to start. This Naturally Healthy May find out more about opportunities to get involved, including online webinars to learn more about the wildlife and nature you can spot from your doorstep
Suicide prevention – everyone’s business
Suicide can affect every one of us. By raising awareness, reducing the stigma and encouraging action we can help to reduce the instances of suicide around the world.
The popular and well used ‘It’s OK to Talk About Suicide’ leaflet is available as a handy ‘Z-card’ format to be kept in a wallet or purse in case it is needed. Developed in collaboration with Devon Partnership NHS Trust, The University of Exeter, Parental Minds and people with lived experience, it includes advice on how to talk to a friend, colleague or loved one you are worried may be feeling suicidal.
It also provides signposting information, along with guidance to support your own mental health and wellbeing.
Hard copies of the leaflet can be requested by emailing publichealth-mailbox@devon.gov.uk
Support and advice
Our mental health and wellbeing can be affected by many things, and we can all struggle at times. It’s important to seek support when you need it.
There are local and national organisations that offer advice and support, including:
- Every Mind Matters – free, NHS approved advice and simple tips to help you look after your mental wellbeing
- Local Devon mental health support, including crisis support
Our Public Health Team will also be attending the Devon County Show this year, talking about the Five Ways to Wellbeing. If you’d like to speak to us in person, you can find us on the Devon County Council stand on Road 8, Stand 170.