Mental Health Awareness Week – Take Notice

This article will take approximately 3 minutes to read
Published 14 May 2021 in Raising Awareness
Are you ready to improve your Mental Health & Wellbeing? As we come to the end of Mental Health Awareness Week help us achieve 2,500 miles collectively so we can donate £2,500 to the charity Mind. With 4 days left in our challenge, we need you to log your miles here. 😊
Take Notice Everyday
Studies have shown that being aware of what is taking place in the present directly enhances your well-being and savouring ‘the moment’ can help to reaffirm your life priorities. This can:
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Reduce worry, anxiety and depression
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Self-awareness
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Promote Positive Behaviour Change
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Help connect with Nature
Throughout the week we have a range of tips from our Mental Health experts including our environmental ambassador Cal Major, Mind charity ambassador, Paol Stuart Thomson & Paul Mcgregor from Everymind who have all kindly filmed a number of helpful videos for you, our colleagues to watch. If you have missed any of our stories click here.
Don’t forget to also log your activity miles between 8th-18th May here, so we can reach 2,500 miles and donate £2,500 to the charity Mind. Every mile counts!
What is around you?
Reminding yourself to ‘take notice’ can strengthen and broaden awareness.
Heightened awareness also enhances your self-understanding and allows you to make positive choices based on your own values and motivations.
Take some time to enjoy the moment and the environment around you. Here are a few ideas:
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Have a ‘clear the clutter’ day
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Take notice of how your colleagues are feeling or acting
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Take a different route on your journey to or from work
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Visit a new place for lunch
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Walk around your neighbourhood (you are not merely trying to get from A to B. You are walking ‘on purpose’)
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Try to see things with ‘new eyes’
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Look for beauty in the unexpected: look out for colours, textures, shapes, reflections in water, shadows. Look down, look up, and look along
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Get creative and take pictures with a camera. Focus on capturing what’s before you.
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Watch Cal Major's Connecting with Nature tips each day this week below. If you have missed any of our helpful videos see here.
Connecting with Nature Tip 5 - Giving Back - Cal Major 🏞
Each day our Environmental Ambassador, Cal Major will give you a top tip to improve your Mental Health by connecting with nature. Today is on ‘Giving Back’
Breathing Exercises by Paol Stuart-Thomson, Mind 🧠
Today hear a top tip from Paol Stuart-Thomson, at Mind on Breathing Exercises.
Get Active for Mental Health Awareness Week! 🏃♀️
We are more than halfway there but we still need your help collectively to reach 2,500 miles. If we do, then we will donate £2,500 to the charity Mind. Open to all colleagues, get active and log your miles below.
Helping to make sure no one has to face a mental health problem alone; you can contribute in various ways:
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Walking
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Running
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Cycling
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Rowing
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Treadmill
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Any other form of exercise which is recorded!
Remember it doesn’t matter whether you do 1 or 10 miles across the week, it all adds up and improves your Mental Health! 😊
Sarah's fabulous walk, in Oxhey 👍
You can also send us your pictures - we want to share all your creative ways of being active, whether that is fancy dress or just plain exercising joggers, nothing is too much!
Send them to thumbsup@midcounties.coop and we will feature them during Mental Health Awareness Week.
Support from GroceryAid– our dedicated grocery partner 🌈
For emotional, financial and practical support for colleagues please contact 08088 021 122 - www.groceryaid.org.uk