This week Phoenix Coaching & Therapy is celebrating Mental Health Awareness Week, the UK’s national campaign to raise awareness of mental health.
The theme for this year's campaign is ‘Nature’. Across the country, people will be celebrating the mental health benefits of being around nature in their local community in a range of digital and creative ways.
Here at Phoenix, we're urging people to take this opportunity to switch off, unplug themselves from electronic devices and to reconnect instead with the natural world around us. It's the perfect time to practice mindfulness - the art of present moment awareness - which involves taking that extra moment to fully appreciate the shape of a tree, the scent of a flower or the pattern of an unusual cloud formation. Thanks to the frantic pace of modern life, our attention too often tends to be dispersed between multiple chores and worries, leaving us anxious and unable to focus. Reconnecting with nature is the perfect antidote and can help us to slow down and silence our internal chatter.
Mark Rowland, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation, which runs the annual awareness campaign, said: “Mental Health Awareness Week has grown to be one of the biggest awareness weeks in the UK. This year the theme is on nature and its central role for our mental health. Since the beginning of the pandemic, millions of us turned to nature to help us get through lockdowns and our research shows that good mental health depends on us being able to connect with nature in some way and its power in both prevention of and recovery from poor mental health.
“During the week, we want to hear millions of people’s stories about how the natural world has supported their mental health.
“We also want to highlight the huge disparities between who is and who isn’t able to access nature. We want the week to explore how everyone across the UK can connect with nature and experience the mental health benefits wherever they live.”
During Mental Health Awareness Week, why not try to make a habit each day of connecting to the nature in your local area? Stop to listen to the birdsong, smell the freshly cut grass, take care of a house plant, notice any trees, flowers or animals nearby. Take a moment to appreciate these connections.
You can share images/videos/or just sound recordings of the nature on your doorstep (and how this made you feel) on social media using #ConnectWithNature and #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek
You can also use Mental Health Foundation resources in your family, school, workplace and community to join with thousands of people who will be finding new ways to connect with nature in their local environment.
Throughout the week, which runs from 10-16 May, Phoenix is offering a 50% discount on all products and resources in our online store. To take advantage of this offer, simply visit https://www.phoenixcoaching.co.uk/shop and enter the coupon code AWARE at the checkout.
We have a wealth of products and resources to help manage anxiety and mental health issues more effectively, including eBooks, digital courses, videos, guided meditation audios and mindfulness workbooks.
For more information about this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week visit mentalhealth.org.uk/mhaw or join the conversation on social media using #ConnectWithNature and #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek
