Tag: mental health awareness week 2018

Are You Okay?

Next week is Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK, and at The Smile Parcel, we want to focus on the importance of meeting up with friends, having a break and a catch up – along with a cuppa, of course!

We all have busy lives and so much going on all the time, we’ve always got a big ‘to-do’ list, and our main target is just to get as much done as possible and be sat on the sofa at the end of the day.

Our conversations are taking place more and more often on technology, which is great for keeping in touch with friends and family who are far away, or even abroad, but there’s nothing quite like face to face, without a screen in-between, if it is possible to do so.

Talking can be a very difficult thing to do, especially if you’re experiencing a mental health condition, so arranging a meet up with a friend, or even someone you haven’t spoken to for a while, is a great opportunity for a catch up and find out what is happening in each other’s lives. Talking and opening up about our feelings is something we should all do, and arranging a cuppa is a great excuse to do it!

The good thing is that meeting with a friend could happen anywhere, if for example you’re uncomfortable in crowded spaces, or being inside a house you’re unfamiliar with, maybe a quiet local park, or a trip to the countryside would be better (and take a travel mug with you!).

If you need some help or advice regarding your own mental health, or are looking for information and guidance, we have a ‘Get Help’ page on this website, with lots of useful telephone numbers and contact details for organisations who can offer support.

Last week was Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week, which is all about giving women an opportunity to open up about motherhood and all the challenges that brings, and to show that no one is ever going through it alone.

So, there isn’t a better time to remind ourselves how important it is to take a little time out and ask a friend ‘Are you Okay?’.

Karen x