Mental Health Awareness Week 2024 - Daily Blog

The theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is ‘Movement:  Moving More for Our Mental Health’.   Many of us are aware of the benefits of physical activity and exercise and doing this outside in a green space.   But what about when we’re more limited?

Many of us spend much of the working day sitting down.  This can be in work and attending meetings or spending time with service users during psychological therapy or intervention sessions.  Or it can be online, many of us probably spend much time looking at screens – in meetings, appointments, typing reports, emails etc.  Before we know it, the working day can be finished, and we’ve barely moved.  We might be a little bit more active in sorting out food, interacting with family before many of us then settle down again to look at our preferred entertainment.   This can feel OK but can also be not so good for us from both a physical and mental health point of view.   So, what can we do differently? 

Some of us may be more restricted in terms of the movement we are able to do due to physical health conditions and/or mental health difficulties which can make it challenging to go out.  For some this can make us feel worse?  So, what can we do differently?

Small changes can be a start and even stretching and waving our arms around can make a difference.  The Mental Health Foundation website has tips on moving when we’re waiting for things like kettles to boil or the bus (Boost your mental health by moving more | Mental Health Foundation).   Daily activities such as cleaning, ironing, and cooking involve movement – recognising that we are moving can help. 

Going outside can help with changing our mood and our focus.  It doesn’t necessarily mean going for a walk (although that’s a good thing) but can mean a change in air and temperature which can change the way we move and breathe.  For those of us who may find the walk bit challenging, just being outside and moving a bit can help our mental health and our physical health.   

When I broke my ankle a year ago, the exercises I was given to help healing and strengthening including standing on tiptoes, standing on one leg and bending it.  I managed to stick to these by incorporating them into daily routines – showering and waiting for the kettle to boil.  Like many, I have a smart watch that records my steps and activity.  This can be a useful prompt and also a way of recognising when we have done some activity.   My smart watch, however, seems to categorise my ironing as very, very slow swimming.  I haven’t figured out whether this is a good thing but at least it’s noticed my movements! 

I think our challenge is to be creative – what’s the little bit I can do on a regular basis to help me move more?  And perhaps how can this be a bit of fun too?