World Mental Health Day 2020 is fast approaching and with this year being incredibly tough for so many people across the globe due to the impact of Covid-19, I feel it is more important than ever to raise awareness of mental health conditions.
Mental health conditions have now been recognised as a global health concern with latest statistics showing that 1 in 4 adults in the UK will experience a mental health illness. In recent years, we’ve seen a shift in the way we talk about mental health as the topic has been given more attention in the media, allowing more people to open up conversations about how they are really feeling.
A partnership between the charity Heads Together and the FA formed to launch the campaign “Heads Up”. Prince William is the main spokesperson and it is one of the most talked about mental health campaigns this year. Their campaign raises the issue of the stigma surrounding mental health, particularly for men and aims to encourage more people to feel comfortable talking about their mental health. Dele Alli, Frank Lampard and Harry Maguire are some of the many footballers that have been involved in the campaign, reminding us that mental health is just as important as physical health.
Other high-profile public figures such as Prince Harry, Freddie Flintoff and Fearne Cotton have recently shared their struggles with mental health in hope that it will encourage others to speak out and get help.
Mental health conditions are now more widely accepted, and we appear to be moving in the right direction. However, there is still stigma attached to these conditions and with suicide being the single biggest killer of UK men under the age of 45, it would seem more still needs to be done.
I believe that occupational therapy can play a huge role in the prevention and recovery from mental illness. Occupational therapy aims to improve health and wellbeing through facilitating engagement in occupations which include activities, roles and routines. Occupational therapists provide practical support to help individuals overcome barriers that prevent them from engaging in meaningful activities, enhancing independence, assisting recovery and promoting a positive mental wellbeing. We use a holistic approach to apply interventions which can involve implementing healthy routines, developing leisure interests, education on coping strategies and developing skills that are needed for independent living and self-care.
I believe that practising self-care is something that we can all do to maintain a positive mental wellbeing and it shouldn’t be overlooked. Self-care is about prioritising time for taking care of your mental, physical and emotional health. Self-care can be anything you enjoy or find meaningful which can have a significant positive impact on your mood and mental wellbeing. I try to make time for self-care at least once a day, usually in the evening. Some of my favourite self-care activities that I like to do are running, reading and cleaning my environment, seeing family and friends and keeping to a regular sleeping routine. Self-care isn’t selfish and can keep us in tune with our minds and bodies.
I hope we can learn more about mental health conditions, reduce the stigma and expand the services for individuals experiencing them. Getting involved in events like World Mental Health Day and speaking out about mental health conditions are a great way to do this.
Visit https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/world-mental-health-day to find out how you can get involved this Saturday.
