It’s Mental Health Awareness Week from the 12th to 18th May – making time for mental wellbeing and self-care is important.
Being part of a community can make life feel more meaningful and enjoyable, help us feel happier and safer, and improve our mental health.
By making the most of the communities around us, we can strengthen our connections, find new opportunities, and make new friends along the way.
Being part of a community has powerful benefits for our mental health and overall wellbeing:
- build a sense of belonging
- reduce loneliness and isolation
- give a sense of purpose
- increase satisfaction and happiness
- help during difficult times
Find out more about the benefits of community for your mental wellbeing and tips to get involved.
The Five Ways to Wellbeing are simple steps you can take to help you feel more positive and get the most out of life. Here in Devon, you can find plenty of inspiration for making changes that are good for you and building connections to communities around you.
- Connect
Good relationships and connecting with others are important to build sense of belonging and self-worth and give you an opportunity to share positive experiences.
As well as the benefits of connecting with others, connecting with the natural world around us can help us to feel revived and relaxed, helping our mental health and wellbeing by reducing our stress and anxiety levels. Naturally Healthy May is the perfect time to get out and explore.
There are plenty of places to visit in Devon – Explore Devon will help you discover them.
2. Be active
Being active is not only great for your physical health and fitness – it can also boost your mood, and Devon has plenty to offer if you want to build a little more movement into your daily life.
Active Devon work together with local communities and partners to connect, advocate and enable people to move more. Active Devon offer fun and healthy ways to get and stay active with activities, campaigns and events for everyone. Check out their tips to get started
Changing the way you travel can bring benefits to your wellbeing and the environment. If you are looking for top walking tips, local walking & cycling trails and car sharing opportunities then Travel Devon has it all.
3. Learn
Learning new skills and doing new things can improve your mental wellbeing by boosting self-confidence and helping you to build a sense of purpose.
Active Devon offer adult cycle training opportunities, or get involved in wellbeing walk leader training to support communities to get walking more for their health and wellbeing
Connect 5 training aims to improve population mental wellbeing by changing the way we have conversations about mental health & wellbeing. Training provides tools & techniques that can be used in your own everyday life and local communities.
4. Give
Acts of giving and kindness can help to improve your mental wellbeing by creating positive feelings, a sense of reward and self-worth.
Devon Connect is an online community hub, connecting people to their community and promoting social action. Search the Volunteering Opportunities page for a range of ways to get involved in a wide range of projects in your local communities. You can also find activities and opportunities for Naturally Healthy May through Devon Connect
5. Notice
Paying more attention to the present moment can improve your mental wellbeing. This includes your thoughts and feelings, your body and the world around you. Some people call this awareness “mindfulness”.
Taking notice of the nature and wildlife around you while you are out and about is a good place to start. Get some ideas from the Local Nature Partnership, including online webinars to learn more about the wildlife and nature you can spot from your doorstep
Support and advice
Our mental health and wellbeing can be affected by many things. We can all struggle sometimes, and it is important to seek support when you need it. There are local and national organisations that offer advice and support:
Search Every Mind Matters for free, NHS approved advice and simple tips to help you look after your mental wellbeing. Click here to find local mental health support, including crisis support.
School Staff – Wellbeing
The Devon Schools Wellbeing Partnership has a dedicated section on staff wellbeing, with information & resources and signposting to available support included.
School Staff – Support in specific circumstances
Following a critical incident:
The Devon County Council Educational Psychology service provides support to schools and settings following a sudden and unexpected traumatic event which may overwhelm usual coping mechanisms – including support for staff. Find out more in the critical incident support pack.
Suicide prevention and postvention
School staff may be more likely to experience exposure to disclosures of suicidal thoughts or acts. It is essential that staff are supported following such incidents.
Papyrus offer a debrief service for any professional who has had an experience of this kind when supporting children and young people. Please call HOPELINE247 on 0800 068 4141, text 88247 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org for support, 24 hours a day. Papyrus is a charity dedicated to the prevention of suicide and the promotion of positive mental health and emotional wellbeing in young people (up to the age of 35).
Pete’s Dragons is the suicide bereavement service for Devon, and provides support for children and adults affected by suicide loss. This support is not restricted to family and loved ones.
Pete’s Dragons are also commissioned to provide postvention support for schools in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay. They can provide organisation-wide help to any school that has been affected by suicide including staff guidance, face-to-face support sessions with students, parents, training and more. Find out more on their website, including access to the Postvention Support Guide for Devon’s Schools and Colleges.
You can find more information about health and wellbeing to support your setting on our pages here: Emotional health and wellbeing – Devon Schools Wellbeing Partnership.