Embrace Mental Health Awareness Week

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This year is the 21st year of Mental Health Awareness Week, a week where we encourage everyone to start a conversation about the importance of protecting your mental health. Thank you for helping us raise awareness about the importance of good mental health for all.

This year’s theme is ‘Nature’”. This theme has been chosen because research has shown that so many people found being in nature helped them cope with the stresses and strains of dealing with the pandemic.

In research, it has been found that seven in ten UK adults (70%) said being close to nature improved their mood. This is powerful evidence of the positive impact engaging with nature can have on our mental health. But surveys also found that there were some key barriers to people being able to access nature in the way they would like. Teenagers in particular appear to be less connected with nature and around 13% of UK households have no access to a garden.
What do we mean by ‘being in nature’? It is all about enjoying quality time, feeling and experiencing the joy of nature around you, the sights and sounds that you may have not noticed before. Surveys suggest nature has a unique ability to not only bring consolation in times of stress, but also increase our creativity, empathy and a sense of wonder.

Even if you can’t go to a park or an outside space, there are ways of bringing nature into your home such as getting a pot plant, using your balcony, listening to the birdsong, or even watching a nature documentary. But the main thing is to get outside if you can and enjoy what is around you.
Top Tips for Enjoying Nature

1. Find nature wherever you are.
2. Connect with nature using all of your senses.
3. Bring nature to you
4. Get out into nature.
5. Exercise in nature.
6. Combine nature with creativity.
7. Protect nature.

As we start enter the light after a very gloomy period of Covid – 19, Doocey Group look forward to a brighter summer. Please stay safe and well and enjoy making up lost time with your friends and family.