Mental Health Awareness Week

Since 2001 The Mental Health Foundation have designated a week in May as Mental Health Awareness Week. This year it will run from 12th – 18th May. Over this time period, our approach to Mental Health has changed significantly, with a growing awareness of the importance of maintaining positive Mental Health for everyone, rather than seeing Mental Health only through a lens of illness.

The theme for this year is ‘Community’ and I’m interested to know what this means to you? In my sessions I talk about the ‘4 Ps’: Positive action, interaction, thinking and purpose, and Community definitely fits into this. The positive interactions we gain from spending time with others who share our interests, beliefs or geography can really help us to feel better, reducing isolation or loneliness and giving us a sense of purpose. These groups might be physical, for example a book group or links through work or volunteering, or they might be virtual; many of us now enjoy the ability to connect with people who might share our interests in other locations via the internet.

There are many other ways to maintain your positive mental health though, and how we choose to do that is very personal to us. For me, it’s important to get outside every day, ensuring I’m getting enough exercise, whether that means a class or just a walk. I’m also really aware of the impact of good nutrition on mental health. There is now a large body of evidence of the connection between our brains, emotions and our gut.  Prioritising good sleep is another area that is so important when we talk about Mental Health, and poor sleep is often one of the symptoms I see in my clinic, and is often the first thing that changes when clients come to see me. Disordered sleep can make us feel really low and we can struggle to cope, but hypnotherapy is a great way to get this, and many other areas of our health and wellbeing, back on track. If you’d like to know more, or just want to ask a question, please get in touch.

All the best

Candy x