Mental Health Awareness Week 2021

For Mental Health Awareness Week (10-16 May), health and care organisations across Leeds are reminding people of the support available to anyone who needs it and encouraging people to look after their wellbeing by connecting with nature.

What is Mental Health Awareness Week and why does it matter?

Mental Health Awareness Week is an annual event when there is an opportunity for the whole of the UK to focus on achieving good mental health. It is all about starting conversations about mental health and the things in our daily lives that can affect it.

Why was Nature chosen as the theme for the Week?

The theme was chosen because being in nature is known to be an effective way of tackling mental health problems and of protecting our wellbeing.

During the long months of the pandemic, millions of us turned to nature. Research on the mental health impacts of the pandemic showed going for walks outside was one of our top coping strategies and 45% of us reported being in green spaces had been vital for our mental health. Websites which showed footage from webcams of wildlife saw hits increase by over 2000%. Wider studies also found that during lockdowns, people not only spent more time in nature but were noticing it more.

Dr Alison Best, Associate Medical Director for NHS Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “The coronavirus pandemic and lockdown measures have been very challenging for us all, so looking after our mental health has never been more important.

“People may have been feeling lonely, isolated and anxious during the last year, but there are things we can all do to reduce these feelings and boost our emotional wellbeing. Heading outdoors and connecting with nature is a great way to do that – whether that’s going for walks, visiting a park, gardening, litter picking, exercising outdoors, there’s something for everyone.

“Physical activity boosts our sense of wellbeing and taking time to notice the natural world can help us feel less isolated and anxious. With lockdown restrictions easing, there are groups and activities across the city that people can get involved with. You can also meet up with friends and family outdoors.

“Whatever you do, it’s important to find ways to look after your emotional health. If you find yourself feeling low and think you are alone, please be reassured that you are not and that support is available.”

Aren’t there much more important mental health priorities than nature at the moment?

Nature is not the only priority that is important. And nature is not going to solve all mental health issues. But connecting with nature can play an important part in improving people’s mental health and make us feel better about ourselves.

What is happening in Leeds?

MindWell, the mental health website for people in Leeds, will be running a nature campaign all week, highlighting the different ways we can spend time with nature to boost our wellbeing. They will also be promoting different nature groups and activities you can join in Leeds, green spaces to visit and ways you can enjoy nature from home.

Mindwell will be sharing a different theme and ideas each day on Twitter @MindWellLeeds #ConnectWithNature #LetsTalkLeeds #MHAW21 

  1. Get moving in the great outdoors – Monday 10 May
  2. Connect with nature; connect with others – Tuesday 11 May
  3. Be mindful in a green space – Wednesday 12 May
  4. Share what nature means to you – Thursday 13 May
  5. Bring the outdoors, indoors – Friday 14 May
  6. Get inspired by nature – Saturday 15 May
  7. Let’s take care of nature – Sunday 16 May

Keep checking Mindwell’s new Connect with nature web page for information about events and outdoor groups across the city.

LYPFT’s Healthy Living Service

Mark De Wolf, a Healthy Living Adviser, talks about what this team have done to support service users over the last year and what they hope to re-introduce as the lockdown eases up: “Our opportunities to support service users to get outdoors and into nature have been more limited than ever over the last year. But there’s not a day goes by that I don’t have a conversation with our service users about how soothing, restorative and invigorating being outside is. Often just a breath of cool fresh air is enough to elicit a sigh of relief.”

Read the rest of Mark’s blog here.

Find out more about the work of the Healthy Living Service on their website page.

The Healthy Living Service offers support that can help people to improve their physical health. The service focuses on our acute inpatient services in Leeds and includes dietitians, physiotherapists, a health improvement specialist and a team of healthy living advisers. The Healthy Living Service provides specific assessment and interventions to improve physical health. They support service users to access community resources to support their ongoing health and wellbeing.

Our healthy living advisers are qualified exercise professionals and support a range of physical activity for service users. They also offer behaviour change interventions and advice in four priority areas – physical activity, healthy eating, smoking cessation, and sensible alcohol use.

Tricia’s story

We caught up with Tricia Thorpe, Videography and Anti-Stigma Lead, about how getting outdoors helps her mental health and how she combines her passion for wildlife and photography.

Tricia said: ”It helps me relax, it helps me forget the everyday stresses and it helps me to be just calm. You just allow yourself some time and some space and enjoy and take in the smells and the views and the sounds. It’s just wonderful. It has kept me going, knowing that I can come out and enjoy something that I really love.”

Tricia and colleague Mat Dale kindly sent a film of one of her recent outings. You can watch the 2 minute film on YouTube.

What you can do

During Mental Health Awareness Week, we are asking you to do three things:

  • Experience nature: take time to recognise and grow your connection with nature during the week. Take a moment to notice and celebrate nature in your daily life. You might be surprised by what you notice!
  • Share nature: Take a photo, video or sound recording and share the connections you’ve made during the week, to inspire others. Join the discussion on how you’re connecting with nature by using the hashtags #ConnectWithNature #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek
  • Talk about nature: use the tips, school packs, research and policy guides to discuss in your family, school, workplace and community how you can help encourage people to find new ways to connect with nature in your local environment.

Mental health support services

  • West Yorkshire mental health support line is a free service providing confidential support, advice, information and guidance for anyone concerned about their mental health or someone they care for. Anyone registered with a Leeds GP can call the helpline on 0800 183 0558. The service is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  • MindWell is the mental health website for people in Leeds. The site includes a coronavirus mental health information hub which brings together information about self-help resources for mental health and where people in Leeds can find help for their mental health as well as practical offers of support during the Covid-19 pandemic: mindwell-leeds.org.uk.
  • Leeds Mental Wellbeing Service is for anyone aged 17+ registered with a Leeds GP and provides support and psychological therapies for common mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. The service also provides online therapy courses and self-management tools which are available at any time day and night to help with a wide range of issues including stress and anxiety, mindfulness, depression and bereavement. Help is available immediately through online courses at https://leeds.omnitherapy.org/
  • If you prefer talking therapies, you can also refer yourself through the website: leedsmentalwellbeingservice.co.uk
  • Children and young people can visit the MindMate website for information and support about their emotional health and wellbeing: mindmate.org.uk
  • The NHS Every Mind Matters website also includes a wide range of resources to help with anxiety, low mood and stress.
  • If you’re struggling with your mental health, the NHS is here for you. Find out what support is available on our new mental health hub: nhs.uk/mentalhealth

Support for people in crisis is also available:

  • Connect – a survivor-led local helpline which offers emotional support and information to people in Leeds every night from 6pm-2am on 0808 800 1212. Connect also provides online support through instant chat for people – lslcs.org.uk Connect specialises in working with people at risk of suicide and self-harm and those with complex mental health needs.
  • Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust’s (LYPFT) Single Point of Access (SPA) provides crisis support for people in Leeds – if you, or someone you’re worried about, needs urgent care or treatment for a mental health crisis call the SPA on 0800 183 1485 (open 24/7, every day).
  • For crisis support in York please call the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust Single Point of Access telephone number: 0800 051 6171. This is an all age, telephone number available 24/7 for those living in County Durham and Darlington, Teesside and North Yorkshire and York.
  • Anyone whose life is in immediate danger should call 999.