World Mental Health (WMH) Day was first celebrated in 1992. It was created to raise awareness of just how common mental health issues are, fight against stigma and campaign for better conditions and treatment for people who have a mental health problem. The number of people and organisations involved in celebrating WMH Day has grown and grown, and now many countries, such as Australia, actually have a Mental Health Week, which includes WMH Day on 10 October. Each year there is a different theme. For example, in 2017 the theme was mental health in the workplace.
Mental health in the workplace
Employers should create an environment which supports good mental health. This also helps to reduce the number of days employees take off work. Employers should help employees to achieve a good work–life balance by encouraging them to take breaks and holidays and discouraging them from working at home in the evenings and at weekends. Employees should also feel that they can talk to their managers about any problems they might have, and employers should be supportive.
Get some exercise
Of course, we also need to look after our own mental health. Most people know that exercise is good for your body, but did you also know how good it is for your mental health? Regular exercise can really help you deal with anxiety and depression. Spending time in nature can also make people more relaxed and reduce stress. So why not get your exercise by going for a walk in a park or the countryside?
Eat well
Your diet can also change your mood. If you eat crisps, cake, chocolate, etc. , your blood sugar will rise and fall, making you feel cross and tired. Make sure you are eating enough vegetables and fruit or you may be missing some nutrients you need to feel good. It’s also important to drink enough water – being thirsty can make it difficult to think clearly.
Spend time with family and friends
Everyone needs some time alone, but it’s also good for us to spend time with other people. If you feel lonely, try volunteering. It’s a good way of meeting new people, and you will feel good for helping others. One survey showed that 48 per cent of people who volunteered for more than two years said they felt less depressed as a result. If you do have close friends and family, try talking to them more about how you feel and asking them to support you. Every time someone speaks to someone else about mental illness, it helps to reduce the stigma.
What to do on World Mental Health Day
World Mental Health Day encourages us to be more aware of both our own mental health and other people’s. As well as looking after yourself, think about how you could support other people. For example, you could find out more about common issues such as anxiety and depression, so you will understand friends’ and colleagues’ problems better. You could also encourage your workplace to start a wellness programme that would benefit everyone – they might offer free exercise classes or encourage employees to take walks at lunchtime. Companies with wellness programmes have found employees take 28 per cent less time off for sickness.
Anything you do on WMH Day, even just talking to people about it, will help us all to understand and support people better.
World
Mental
Health
(
WMH
) Day was
first
celebrated in 1992. It
was created
to raise awareness of
just
how common
mental
health
issues are, fight against stigma and campaign for better conditions and treatment for
people
who have a
mental
health
problem. The number of
people
and
organisations
involved in celebrating
WMH
Day has grown and grown, and
now
many
countries, such as Australia, actually have a
Mental
Health
Week, which includes
WMH
Day on 10 October. Each year there is a
different
theme.
For example
, in 2017 the theme was
mental
health
in the workplace.
Mental
health
in the workplace
Employers should create an environment which
supports
good
mental
health
. This
also
helps
to
reduce
the number of days
employees
take off work. Employers should
help
employees
to achieve a
good
work–life balance by encouraging them to take breaks and holidays and discouraging them from working at home in the evenings and at weekends.
Employees
should
also
feel
that they can talk to their managers about any problems they might have, and employers should be supportive.
Get
some
exercise
Of course
, we
also
need to look after our
own
mental
health
. Most
people
know that
exercise
is
good
for your body,
but
did you
also
know how
good
it is for your
mental
health
? Regular
exercise
can
really
help
you deal with anxiety and depression. Spending
time
in nature can
also
make
people
more relaxed and
reduce
stress
.
So
why not
get
your
exercise
by going for a walk in a park or the countryside?
Eat well
Your diet can
also
change
your mood. If you eat crisps, cake, chocolate, etc.
,
your blood sugar will rise and fall, making you
feel
cross and tired.
Make
sure you are eating
enough
vegetables and fruit or you may be missing
some
nutrients you need to
feel
good
. It’s
also
important
to drink
enough
water
–
being thirsty can
make
it difficult to
think
clearly
.
Spend
time
with family and friends
Everyone needs
some
time
alone,
but
it’s
also
good
for us to spend
time
with
other
people
. If you
feel
lonely, try volunteering. It’s a
good
way of meeting new
people
, and you will
feel
good
for helping others. One survey
showed
that 48 per cent of
people
who volunteered for more than two years said they felt less depressed
as a result
. If you do have close friends and family, try talking to them more about how you
feel
and asking them to
support
you. Every
time
someone speaks to someone else about
mental
illness, it
helps
to
reduce
the stigma.
What to do on World
Mental
Health
Day
World
Mental
Health
Day encourages us to be more aware of both our
own
mental
health
and
other
people’s
.
As well
as looking after yourself,
think
about how you could
support
other
people
.
For example
, you could find out more about common issues such as anxiety and depression,
so
you will understand friends’ and colleagues’ problems better. You could
also
encourage your workplace to
start
a wellness
programme
that would benefit everyone
–
they might offer free
exercise
classes or encourage
employees
to take walks at lunchtime.
Companies
with wellness
programmes
have found
employees
take 28 per cent less
time
off for sickness.
Anything you do on
WMH
Day, even
just
talking to
people
about it, will
help
us all to understand and
support
people
better.