So many people have been sharing their own stories, tips and more throughout the week. This year was amazing with so many people getting into the theme of body image.
This blog will share some of the best content that has been made throughout the week by the brilliant mental health community who have pulled together as always.
The MHF have produced so much content for last week and as hosts of the event they did an excellent job. Here’s some of what they shared
For more content about Mental Health Awareness Week from MHF, there is an entire section of their website dedicated to it.
This was broadcast on more than 300 radio stations at the same time on Monday with Prince William, Katy Perry, Stephen Fry, Alisha Dixon and Jameela Jamil. The video is still available here, and if you’re interested, I’ll link last year’s one here too.
This campaign was launched on the 15th May with Heads Together and aimed to get men talking about mental health. Suicide is still the biggest cause of death for men under 45, and the campaign is about getting men to start opening up instead of being like one of the lads.
BBC Sport has also been sharing Mental Health Awareness Week content for men; I’ve found A Royal Team Talk and Man Up: Mental Health in 2019 to resonate with me.
The ‘Empower Half Hour’ Twitter campaign was really something that got my attention. It focuses on employers and giving 30 minutes over MHAW to focus on mental health. A lot of companies got involved, and you can see what happened by searching for #EmpowerHalfHour
Some messages about mental health. Although not about body image, Mental Health Awareness Week doesn’t just confine itself to a theme. Mental Health Awareness Weeks give people a chance to speak up with the confidence of others. This is just what this post does – it brings together what people in the mental health community would like to say.
This interview between Chloe and her sister talks about why mental health awareness week is important. It shows us that we need more support for mental health. Be advised it does share a really low moment which does come with a trigger warning. But this story, like many others, needs to be told.
Well, this is a mammoth post and a half! This talks about everything body image, eating disorders, muscle dysmorphia and even throws some tips in at the end.
What I like about this is it’s evidence-based. There are sections dedicated to what other organisations have said on the subject, as well as scattering the article with quotes and statistics. It’s a really interesting read and it sure takes some time to digest it all!
Georgia has posted a blog post a day talking about anxiety, self-care and mindfulness. They’re really nicely laid out and presented. If you have a look under the Mental Health Awareness Week tag on her blog, you’ll be able to see all 7 of them. Here’s the first one which gives an introduction and some of her story – I can relate to some of it about being called “too skinny”.
From Sophie, this blog is a nice post about loving yourself. It takes about a minute to read, but the message is massive. We’ve focused on why body image is a problem and what we can do about it, but one overarching message from the week should be to love yourself. And that’s what this post is all about.
Blog Post Special: MHF Research Report
Mental Monday Playlist (5 Episodes)
I could showcase blogs all day on here. I could go on to mention the people who work tirelessly every day to give themselves up to help and support others. Mental health advocates and bloggers do amazing things.
We campaign for change and highlight the injustices in the world from the viewpoint of a stigmatised community. We share the raw brutality of life, stripped back for you to follow through the highs and lows. We even share the odd tip and two and even a dash of humour.
Let’s not give up now. We can all do amazing things here are some examples of them doing just that. It may be something as simple as sharing our own story. Or being there for a friend. But these are the things that matter.
So let’s keep blogging, let’s keep talking. Let’s keep the momentum up in the mental health community. Things are changing, things are happening, but we all need to work together to ensure they happen.
So back campaigns, get behind things you’re passionate about. If you’re a writer, an artist, a photographer, share your perspective, your journey. Because that could help someone else.
And we could all do with a bit more support round here.
Thanks to all our amazing contributors to Mental Health Awareness Week, even those that aren’t mentioned here. You are leading the charge. You are bringing more awareness.
You don’t have to be a campaigner or an advocate like me. Even if you’re reading this with no background in mental health chances are you’ll know someone who is struggling. All I ask is to be there for them. You don’t have to start a blog, shout on social media.
Be there for the people who need you.
Jake Symons is an entrepreneur and passionate mental health advocate determined to share his story to help others. Alongside writing on this blog he hosts Mental Monday: Mental Health Live a biweekly intimate and unscripted conversation about mental health.
