Mental Health Awareness Week

The theme of Mental Health Awareness Week 2024 is Movement.

An active lifestyle doesn't just provide benefits for your physical health - it's great for your mental health as well. Our minds and bodies are connected, so what supports one supports the other.

Because of this, regular movement helps to improve your wellbeing. If you're not particularly active at the moment or you have limited mobility, the good news is that you don't need to go running for hours - short bursts of any physical activity you're able to manage will do, so long as they're enough to raise your heart rate and breathing. That's all you need to help increase your mental alertness and raise your energy levels.

Movement helps us to feel better about ourselves, both about our bodies and our wellbeing. It can help to reduce stress and anxiety and improve the quality of our sleep.

You may think you don't have the opportunity to build in physical activity into your routine but consider how much time you spend waiting for things each day. That time could be spent doing some simple exercises.

So whether you're doing seated yoga, some squats, gardening, going for a walk in the countryside or any other kind of exercise, it all counts.

Click here for more information on recommended physical activity levels for all ages.

If you or someone you know are struggling with mental health, it's okay to ask for help. Visit our mental wellbeing pages for a wealth of services that can support you, or contact NHS 111 online or by phone and select the mental health option.

Click here for to find out more about Mental Health Awareness Week.