Category: Wellbeing and self-care

Heemali shares her story of living with body dysmorphia, a number of anxiety-inducing experiences, and going through burnout in her corporate job. Reflecting on how she found her passion as a trauma-informed yoga practitioner, supporting others.

Feedback from Mental Health UK’s Me & Money pilot programme, which launched last year, shows that young people are experiencing additional strain on their relationship with their parents/carers because of money in the approach to the school holidays.

We often hear that exercise is beneficial for our mental health, but exercise isn’t always easy. For this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week (13 – 19 May 2024) we wanted to not only explore the numerous benefits of physical activity but to also understand the barriers that can be encountered.

The theme for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is movement. Whilst there are significant benefits to movement, both physically and mentally, there can be numerous barriers to overcome which relate to where we live, financial circumstances, other commitments, and accessibility to name a few. Below Tyler shares with us how important physical activity is in his life and the barriers he has had to overcome in order to continue doing what he loves.

For this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week (13 – 19 May 2024) we wanted to challenge the perception of exercise. Whilst there is no doubt that movement is beneficial for both body and mind, it doesn’t have to be in a traditional or stereotypical form. Dan Soar, known as the Tattooed Knitter, has set the world record for the most blankets arm knitted in 24 hours, in a challenge watched by 1.2 million people.

After finding a series of losses and grief was impacting her mental health, causing anxiety, low mood, and a reliance on alcohol, Cindy talks to us about how she found respite in podcasts to learn the importance of self-care and talking to others about how we’re feeling. 

In the UK, nearly 5 million cisgender women aged 50 and over are in employment – it is the fastest-growing demographic group of workers. This age group is the most likely to be affected by menopausal symptoms, so employers need to ensure they are supporting this group of their workforce. Talking openly with your employer can be an important first step towards being better supported at work.

We can sometimes feel frustrated or guilty when we experience emotions such as anxiety or a low mood, that impact our lives. Becky spoke to us about how recognising, accepting and reflecting on her emotions helped her to learn lessons that now support her in navigating experiences of depression or anxiety.

As a society, we use the New Year period to look back on the year that has passed and look to the year ahead, pledging change for the better. However, while New Year’s resolutions might seem lighthearted and positive, sometimes they can end up doing more harm than good to our mental wellbeing.