Welcome to Mental
Health Awareness Week 2020!
This year’s Week will be like no other because for the first time in the twenty years that the Mental Health Foundation has been hosting this Week, they have changed the theme! Originally, the theme was scheduled to be ‘sleep’ but in response to the Coronavirus Pandemic and subsequent lockdown, the Foundation changed the theme to ‘kindness.’ The Foundation’s Chief Executive Mark Rowland said of the decision; ‘now more than ever, we need to re-discover kindness in our daily lives.’
LEAPS – as an organisation who regularly carries out acts of kindness – greatly support the decision to change the theme and are so excited to talk to you about the importance of kindness and share with you our top tips on ways to be kind:
With LEAPS supporting those who are unwaged, we find that kindness means so much to our members because they are all too often shown stigma and discrimination for their position of being unwaged. Members are regularly overlooked in society and with job interviews and applications so they appreciate more than most, the effort and thought that goes into an act of kindness.
Being shown kindness – or showing yourself kindness – can leave your confidence bolstered and your mental health feeling much more positive which can leave you much more productive and a more valuable member of society.
5 ways to be
kind:
1. Message or speak to a loved one to show
that you’re thinking of them - in place of our weekly meetings our Chair has
been hosting virtual meetings once a week with the entire group!
2. Donate to a food bank, charity, or an
individual’s project - LEAPS are currently fundraising for their Lunch with
LEAPS project, which you can donate to here
3. Do something you enjoy – LEAPS members
enjoy various activities that range from doing long runs, decorating and doing
arts and crafts, and reading!
4. Take care of your own health (both
mental and physical) – some LEAPS members take medication for their mental and
physical health and it is essential that they continue with them, it’s also
important to have a healthy diet, exercise, and get plenty of sleep
5. Do something nice for someone else – a lot
of our members live alone but simple things like making a cup of tea for
someone or doing the dishes can be helpful for lots of people who live together
LEAPS would like to finish this post by
saying that whilst we are encouraged and supportive of Mental Health Awareness
Week, mental health has to be recognized as being 24/7, 365 days a year!
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