Mental Health Awareness Week 2022: Skimlinks Connects

At Skimlinks, we are supporting Mental Health Awareness Week, which runs from Monday 9 May to Sunday 15 May. Pre-pandemic it was estimated that 1 in 10 of us experiences some form of Mental Health difficulties. Post-pandemic it has become even more prevalent, making it more important than ever to raise awareness. 

This year the theme for Mental Health Awareness Week is Loneliness and looking to connect in order to combat this. Following this theme, we connected with some of our team members and asked what they do to nurture their personal well-being. There were some standout themes that we have collated into small tips and steps that we are using.

Move Your Body

Moving your body in whatever way works for you can be an excellent mode to relieve stress, anxiety, and bad moods. It has also been found to contribute to better sleep health. Whether it’s running, cycling, walking, dancing, or whatever you enjoy, making time each day to move can be a useful form of escapism to destress. If you want to connect with others, sport can be a great way to do so out of your usual circles.

Write It Down

Studies have found that writing about emotional experiences often improves physical and mental health. Amongst our team, journalling appears to be a common tool to get our thoughts and emotions out and prevent internalising stress. Writing is a great way to practice mindfulness. Journalling can be done in the morning to start the day off, on a break if you’re feeling overwhelmed, or at the end of the day to wind down and decompress.

Do More Of What Makes You Happy

We are making time for the things we enjoy! This is a great way to combat anhedonia, where you can begin to lose interest in things. At Skimlinks, we have a lot of music lovers who enjoy live music but also tuning in to a different world inside their headphones. For the Harry Potter fans amongst us, one team member claims they have hidden bits of their soul in their favourite songs like a non-evil Horcrux. Reading, connecting with loved ones, and painting are also some hobbies of note!

A Problem Shared

Staying on theme, we saved the best tip for connection til last! One in five individuals reported experiencing loneliness in the workplace, so reaching out and talking to each other is a step to combatting this. As the idiom goes, a problem shared really can be a problem halved. Talking therapies are a widely used method to aid mental health issues. Finding someone you feel comfortable talking to, whether it is a family member, colleague, friend, or therapist, can provide an outlet to connect and alleviate issues you may be facing. Try to reach out to one colleague this week in a non-work-related capacity and see what happens!

If you are struggling with mental health issues, there are lots of resources available to help. Find out more here.