People in Suffolk encouraged to do just one thing to improve their mental health
Suffolk Mind is encouraging people to try and take one step to improve and support their mental health.
Last updated 10th Oct 2021
Today is World Mental Health Day and to mark it, one Suffolk-based mental health charity is encouraging people to try and do one thing to support their mental wellbeing.
Jon Neal is the chief executive of Suffolk Mind. Based on the data they collected, he says, "Across the population of Suffolk during the course of the pandemic, people who were reporting that they are not able to meet their emotional needs, and were therefore in danger of stress and mental ill health that number doubled."
"That figure used to be one in four people, and now its one in two. So nearly half of the population of Suffolk is experiencing some kind of stress at the moment", he adds.
They are hoping to spread awareness about the ill-effects of emotional stress this World Mental Health Day. "If we can educate people and make them aware that they have emotional needs that must be met for them to stay well, then that is the first step to avoiding stress. That in turn, is the first step to avoiding mental ill-health down the line."
To do so, they have launched a new campaign and urging people to ‘Do one thing’ to support their own mental health. It could be finding the motivation to take a shower, putting a plan in motion to get that promotion they always wanted or it could be accessing some helpful support.
"We are encouraging people to do at least one thing to improve their wellbeing. Doing one thing gives them meaning or purpose or a sense of achievement."
"A small thing could mean a great big thing for other people. For some it maybe gathering the motivation to take a shower, for others it can be applying for a job", Mr. Neal says.
For those who want to practice mindfulness and ensure wellbeing in the long-term, Mr. Neal has three tips.
"One is to find and do one piece of exercise a day, whether its walking up and down your garden or going for a jog or brisk walk."
"The second tip would be to get better sleep. Sound sleep is very important for good mental and physical health. Roundabout half of the population of Suffolk is not sleeping well. Do things like cutting down on caffeine, leave your mobile phone in another room and ensure that the temperature in your room is around 19-20 degrees, not too warm or too cold."
"The third one would be to do an emotional needs audit. You can find it on your website suffolkmind.org.uk and it will tell you which need of yours is not well met and there are resources on there about how you can ensure it is better met in the future", he says.