Take time to reflect on World Mental Health Day 2021

Sunday 10th October 2021 will be recognised globally as World Mental Health Day. In a time where many people’s mental health and elevated concerns for those already living with a mental illness could be affected, it’s a handy reminder to spread kindness and positivity each day. 

World Mental Health Day is officially recognised by the World Health Organisation and every year, an official theme is chosen to reflect areas for significant change. This year’s theme is ‘Mental Health in an Unequal World’, as set by the World Federation for Mental Health and aims to help spread the message of equity for all. 

This Sunday 10th October we encourage you to have a ‘check in’ with yourself or someone you know and see what you can do to improve your mental health in this unequal world.

Here are some tips to get you started:

• Restructure your thoughts: Whether you are worried about a deadline or if you are feeling negative about something at home, we all have worry-some thoughts at times. A good way to manage these is to provide yourself with a clearer headspace by breaking the project or problem down into small chunks and restructuring what you need to do – taking it one step at a time.
• Discover helpful resources: There are many resources that provide new ways of effectively managing a situation you may be struggling with. In fact, we recently came across this great article on how emails can provide unnecessary stress in the workplace and how you can mitigate this by implementing a few changes.
• Don’t be afraid to talk: Although it can sometimes feel like a hugely overwhelming step to take, a problem shared is a problem halved. It can also have a huge impact on improving your mental health by simply speaking about your challenges, no matter how big or small. So, don’t be afraid to talk.

Another exciting resource to mention is that Mental Health UK has partnered with ITN Productions Industry News, to co-produce a special news programme launching on World Mental Health Day. The ‘Forward Together for Mental Health’ campaign is set to explore how the mental health narrative and agenda in the workplace and wider society has advanced. Plus it will also look at the people and projects safeguarding emotional wellbeing across the UK and the necessary support in place to help those experiencing a mental health problem. Check out the trailer.

Following on from the London’s Calling event in March 2021, we would also highly recommend you check out Dr. Anastasia Dedyukhina session on digital wellness. With work being accessible by most of our digital devices, it’s important to learn how technology changes our behaviour and affects our health, thinking, decision-making and creativity if we don’t manage it properly. Learn how to promote your own digital wellness.

For more tips and tricks to staying positive, check out our Mental Health Awareness Week blog and don’t forget to share your wellbeing tips on social media – let’s stay connected.