Mental Health Awareness Week is an annual event that takes place this year from 15th to 21st May. The week is an opportunity to remind ourselves that mental health is a big part of our environment, and that the wellbeing of our colleagues is paramount.
Each year the Mental Health Foundation sets a theme. This year’s theme is ‘Just’ Anxiety?’
Lots of things can lead to feelings of anxiety, including exam pressures, relationships, work pressures or other big life events. We can also get anxious when it comes to things to do with money, not being able to meet our basic needs, like heating our home or buying food and even the 24-hour news cycle.
Anxiety is an important human emotion that we’ve likely all experienced at some point in our lives but sometimes it can progress into a bigger mental health problem. People living with an anxiety disorder will feel intense levels of anxiety frequently, which can deeply impact their quality of life.
Anxiety disorders affect over 8 million people in the UK – that’s a little over 1 in 10 of us – and there are lots of different types.
We have chosen to support Mental Health Awareness week and raise awareness of anxiety as it is something that impacts us all, we want to encourage our colleagues to share their own experiences and any helpful ideas on how they manage anxiety with each other.
Support and resources to help with anxiety
If we don’t know how to cope with our feelings of anxiety, they can get out of control and stop us from doing the things we need or want to do. The more often and the longer we feel anxious, the more it can become a problem.
Dealing with anxiety can be hard. But there are some things we can do to manage these tough feelings.
Have a read through the following suggestions and find out what might work for you.
- Focus on your breathing – concentrate on the feeling of your body as you breathe in and out. It can help you control the thought.
- Get moving – Exercise is a good way of dealing with anxiety.
- Keep a diary
- Challenge your thoughts
- Connect with people and talk about how you feel
- Try to get some quality sleep or rest
- Try to eat a healthy diet
For guide on coping strategies click here
If you find you are struggling to deal with anxiety you can access a can also access a wide range of resources and support through GroceryAid, including counselling services.
https://www.groceryaid.org.uk/
Call the Helpline on 08088 021 122
This is a confidential and free service available to all eXPD8 colleague and Family members.
For more information on mental health support and guidance, visit Mind, Samaritans, Young Minds or the Mental Health Foundation.
