There are several days in February that are dedicated to mental health, which includes Time to Talk Day (6th Feb), Children’s mental health week (9th – 15th Feb), Random Acts of Kindness Day (17th Feb) and Eating Disorder Awareness Week (23rd Feb – 1st March).
Time to Talk Day:
Time to Talk Day is held on the 6th of February and has been created by the mental health charity Mind. They describe the day as ‘the nations biggest mental health conversation’ and is a day designed for everyone to come together and talk or listen.
Talking may seem small and unimportant, but it can save a life. Talking more openly about mental health and listening openly and without judgement will help to reduce the stigma that is attached to mental health. This makes people feel comfortable enough to speak up when they need too and possibly helping to save their life.
There are a lot of ways that you can get involved in time to talk:
- Text a friend to ask how they’re doing
- Invite a colleague for a cup of tea and a chat
- Host a lunch and learn sessions in your workplace
- Share a campaign graphic on your social media (which can be found at https://www.mind.org.uk/get-involved/time-to-talk-day/)
Children's Mental Health Week
Children’s mental health week is created by the children’s mental health charity called Place2Be. Each year the week has a theme attached to it, and this year is ‘This is My Place’, which aims to create environments and support systems around children and young people to make them feel like they belong.
When we were children, and even now as we have grown into adults, our sense of belonging within our school and friendships has a massive impact on our mental health and wellbeing. Not having that integral part of growing up can follow a person all the way to adulthood, so it is important that when working with children, we strive to keep making the environment we create a safe a comfortable one.
Children's Mental Health Week
This day, created by a foundation by the same name, was created to give people a reason to do random acts of kindness. Witnessing acts of kindness produces a hormone called Oxytocin – which is sometimes referred as the ‘love hormone’. This hormone aids in lowering blood pressure and improving overall heart health, it also increases our self-esteem and optimism, which can be so valuable to someone who may be living with anxiety or is shy in social situations.
Random acts of kindness isn’t only to other people, but it starts within. You can use the day to remind yourself to practice some self-care when you have the time. Self-care helps reset the mind, which can make all the difference in this fast passed world. Some self-care tips are:
- Taking a deep breath: do some breathing exercises and enjoy a moment of complete stillness
- Remove yourself from technology for an hour, or longer, and do a hobby that you enjoy with no interruptions
- Start a gratitude diary – it can be as simple as listing things you are grateful for, or what you are proud of, or it can become a ritual of sorts where you journal out your day or week.
- Take time to actually rest and relax – take some time to recharge however that looks like for you. Spend some time trying new things to find what helps you relax the best.
Eating Disorder Awareness Week
This awareness week has been created by the eating disorder charity Beat to help raise awareness and remove stigma that surrounds eating disorders. The theme for the week this year is centred around ‘community’.
Living with an eating disorder can become very isolating and lonely, thoughts of worthlessness is common with those who experience eating disorders. This is why it is so important that we focus on the power that community could hold for this person. Having people who you can connect with who understand, or who share your values and interest, can be life changing. With at least 1.25 million people in the UK are living with an eating disorder, and millions more of people who support them, the importance of raising awareness is more important than ever.
