Mental health awareness week 2022- How to keep the conversation going

We’ve made it!! Day 7 of a blog post a day for mental health awareness week! It was certainly more of a challenge than I expected it to be, but I am glad that I have made it to the end. If you’ve stuck it out and read along with me this week it is greatly appreciated!!

I thought it would be important to end the week with a post about how to keep the momentum going after mental health awareness week. It is important to have weeks like this to raise awareness to the issues surrounding mental health, but it is even more important to keep the conversation going after the week ends. There is so much that needs to be done to reduce stigma around mental health and provide support for those that need it. So here is some of the ways we can continue to help even after mental health awareness week.

One of the biggest ways you can help is to talk more openly about mental health even after this week. Talk to those around you about how they are truly feeling and also truly listen! This can really help to make people more aware of how they are feeling and to actively ask other people how they are doing. It’s important to check in with your friends regularly especially if you are aware they’re struggling at the moment.

Not only is it important to encourage others to talk up, if you feel comfortable doing so, it is also important to open up and share your experiences. If you have struggled or are struggling with mental illness, sharing your story can help those with mental health problems to not feal alone. Hearing another person has gone through the same thing can be a relief and could also nudge the person to look for help and treatment it they aren’t already.

It’s also super important to keep talking about mental health with everyone not just friends and family. As mentioned in a pervious blog post there is still massive stigma and discrimination around some mental health illnesses so it is important to keep taking and break these negative connotations down. If we focus on taking about mental health in a positive, constructive way then this can help to reduce the stigma and discrimination. Also correcting friends and family is they speak untruths or talk badly on the issue can help to improve the dialogue.

Do your research! Learning the signs and symptoms of common mental health problems can be super helpful to help identify when your friends and loved ones are going through issues. Mental health issues can take lots of different forms and can be hard to identify so those who could benefit from professional treatment may not get help as quickly as they need. Understanding warning sign and how you can help will decrease the number of people who have mental health problem and who suffer in silence without advocates.

Another great way is to encourage physical health that supports mental health. Help people to understand that physical health can have a direct impact on mental health. If you know someone struggling, encourage them to do something active with you and see if that helps them. Eating healthy and getting plenty of exercise and sleep all play a part in a person’s mental and emotional state so get them outside and moving (if they feel comfortable to do so).

I hope some of this helps and if there is anything else you can think of that may help comment it below :)