Mental Health Awareness Week

Happy Mental Health Awareness Week (May 13 – May 19)! Mental Health Awareness week is the UK’s national week to raise awareness about mental health  and to  promote the message of good mental health for all. Mental Health awareness week was started by the Mental Health Foundation in 2001 and has now spread to different organisations all over the country.

This year, the theme of the week is Body Image – how we feel and think about our bodies. The mental health foundation found that last year, almost 1 in 3 people felt so stressed by body image and appearance they felt overwhelmed or unable to cope. Struggling with body image and appearance can cause stress and anxiety and can lead to more serious mental health disorders like anorexia and bulimia.

Social media can negatively impact body image. The BBC reports that, “A systematic review of 20 papers published in 2016 found that photo-based activities, like scrolling through Instagram or posting pictures of yourself, were a particular problem when it came to negative thoughts about your body.” These negative thoughts often come for our tendency to compare ourselves to other people on social media, especially celebrities and social media influencers.

This week, and every week, let’s focus on the inner beauty that is in everyone!

Here is one of our favourite quotes:

“I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing light of your own being.” – Hafiz

If you want to get in touch or hear more about the work we are doing in London, contact us at info@up.org.uk, or call us at 02034053550!