Blog

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.

One in six children aged 5 to 16 were identified as having a mental health problem in 2021, a significant increase from one in nine in 2017. Never has the need to support young people’s mental health been greater, and we know that early preventative support using upstream approaches like building resilience can have a positive impact.

On Friday 19th April, Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak made a speech on welfare announcing the need for reforms. Specifically honing in on the need to tackle unemployment and getting people back into work.

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. 

We are proud to announce that Olympic athlete, Michelle Griffith-Robinson has joined our board of trustees at Mental Health UK.

Flexible working has been in place for over 20 years with various rights being extended granting further inclusivity. On 6th April, the biggest change is imminent, whereby the employees’ right to request flexible working no longer must be earned, it’s present from day one.

Jay, 47, was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder amongst other diagnosis including a Personality Disorder, in his thirties. For World Bipolar Day, he speaks to us about how his diagnosis allowed him to not only access medication to make daily life functional, but also meant he was emotionally able to accept his illness and build a positive life around it.

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.

Our young people’s programmes, Bloom and Your Resilience have always been run with the mindset that young people’s voices and experiences need to be at the forefront in developing and delivering our workshops.

Preventing burnout in the workplace is a shared responsibility between employers and employees. By taking proactive steps to manage workload, prioritise wellbeing, and communicate effectively, we can all contribute toward creating the infrastructure for mentally healthy working environments.

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.

With January upon us, many of us look to make New Year’s Resolutions and changes to our lives in the hopes of reaping the rewards. Whilst it can be great for our wellbeing to set goals, some of us might find resolutions surrounding diet and exercise damaging to our mental health. Tierney talks us through how she used the power of movement to positively impact her mood and dissociated the concept of exercising purely to change your body or look a certain way.

We don’t need to be physically isolated to feel lonely. The festive season can highlight feelings of loneliness for many people, even when other people are around them. We hear from Dianne and Carlos about how they experience loneliness over Christmas.

Mental Health UK’s Into Work’ employment service has been awarded the ‘Project of the Year’ award at the Vocational Rehabilitation Awards.