Get involved and help to spread Mental Health Awareness





World Mental Health Day is all about spreading awareness about Mental Health and encouraging those who are struggling to speak out.

Here are a few ways you can get involved, help to spread awareness and support those who need our help:



1. Talk to people 

Talking to people is really important is a great way to help spread awareness about Mental Health. Talk to your friends, family, fellow students and co-workers and ask them how they are really feeling. If they are feeling low, lend an ear and help them to talk about their problems.

Encourage those around you to speak out if they are feeling down and don’t leave children out of it either! These are the ones that will impact future generations so they should know that it’s okay not to be okay sometimes, and that help is always there.


2. Open up about your own experience 

If you have personally struggled with mental health, this is a great opportunity to open up about your experience and what helped/helps you to overcome negative thoughts and feelings. By talking openly about your experience, it could encourage others to do the same and to get the help they need.


3. Read more about mental health so you can educate yourself and others 

It is estimated that 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health issue at some point in their lifetime. Learning more about the signs and symptoms of mental health, and where to get the right support can be really helpful.

If we can understand more about mental illness, we might be able to notice some of the signs and symptoms and support those around us. It will also help to raise awareness of different Mental Health issues. There are lots of resources available to find out more about different types of mental illness. Click here to find out more about mental health and where to get the right support.


4. Hold an event in aid of mental health 

Even though we are at home and we are not able to organise physical events, you could still hold a virtual event to promote awareness of mental health.

You could organise a virtual quiz and charge a donation as an entry fee! You could even ask some questions surrounding mental health so you can educate others at the same time!

There is lots of ways you can get involved, click here for more ideas for virtual events.


5. Volunteer, Fundraise or Donate 

While organising your online events, why not get people to donate a bit of money to the Mental Health Foundation and start your own fundraiser! For example, you could have a virtual drink with some friends and each person could donate the price of their favourite drink to the Mental Health Foundation! For more information on fundraising, click here.

If you don’t want to hold an online event, there are still lots of ways you can fundraise. You can even raise money on Facebook and the money goes straight to the Mental Health Foundation. Click here to find out how you can get started.

If you’d prefer, you can volunteer and support those who are struggling. Click here for ways you can volunteer.

If you just want to make a donation to the Mental Health Foundation, click here for ways you can donate.


6. Social Media as a tool

Social Media is a great way to spread awareness for different causes and this is no different for Mental Health. Join in online and spread awareness about Mental Health to people all over the world. It can be something as small as spreading positivity on your social feeds, to reflecting on an act of kindness with a photo or video.

This Mental Health Day, Mind are encouraging you to #doonething for better Mental Health. Sometimes trying to change how we are feeling can be a long process but by changing one thing, whether that be getting outside more, doing a spot of mindfulness or reaching out for support, it can really help us to improve our Mental Health! Let others know what you are changing this World Mental Health Day by using the hashtag #doonething. Don't forget to tag us on social media too - @uniofherts!

7. Get physical 

Poor physical health can actually have a huge impact on our mental health too. Doing regular exercise can ease stress levels as it releases endorphins (feel-good chemicals) in the brain. This will help you to feel more energised and in turn more positive. We have lots on offer at the university to help you keep active, from competitive sport to Active Students sessions, there is something for everyone! Click here to check out what's on offer!



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