Today marks the launch of Mental Health Awareness Week, the UK’s national week to raise awareness of mental health, hosted by the Mental Health Foundation.
Mental Health Awareness Week is an annual opportunity for the whole of the UK to focus on talking about and achieving good mental health. It is all about starting conversations about mental health and reflecting on things that can affect our mental health in our daily lives.
The impact of loneliness on our mental wellbeing
This year the theme for the week is loneliness. We're raising awareness of the impact of loneliness on our mental wellbeing - and the steps we can take to address it.
Loneliness is affecting more and more of us in the UK and has had a huge impact on our physical and mental health during the pandemic.
Our connection to other people and our community is fundamental to protecting our mental health and we need to find better ways of tackling the epidemic of loneliness. We can all play a part in this.
Connecting to others
There are lots of opportunities to connect with other people across the university, for example through becoming a member of one of our staff diversity networks and groups.
Attending university-wide events can be another great way of interacting with other people. For example, this week as part of the ongoing work to raise awareness of the menopause in the workplace, we are pleased to welcome Caroline Nokes, MP for Romsey and Southampton North who will be delivering a webinar on 13th May from 10am-11am. Caroline was appointed Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee in Parliament in January 2020. Full details are at the bottom of this article.
Support and resources for staff and students
Our network of Staff Wellbeing Champions are supporting our staff, providing a listening ear and signposting to information and resources. Staff can also access a wide range of resources and support through our Wellbeing Support for Staff, including counselling services.
Staff and students can also continue to make use of the wellbeing resources on the University Mental Health Day web page and in our Wellbeing Hub.
Please remember the university is here to help and support you.
