Mental Health Awareness Week 2026: 'Take Action'
This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and the theme set by the Mental Health Foundation this year, is to take action .
We all live busy lives in a world with lots of uncertainty and external influences that affect us. It can be easy to feel overwhelmed by many worries or stresses in our lives. This mental health awareness week, we can all take action to help improve our mental health and wellbeing. Professionals from mental health services have provided some top tips to help deal with some common triggers or sources of anxiety in our every day lives.
They offer some general guidance on areas such as financial support, loneliness, comparison culture and general levels of worry. Some small changes in each of these areas can help us to re-focus, prioritse our own personal development and wellbeing, and filter out unwanted noise.
There are times when we may need someone to help us with anxiety, depression or low mood. Treatment is typically offered online, as a webinar, SilverCloud programme or group, with regular contact with a therapist. The aim is to give you helpful tools and techniques, and you can carry on using after the treatment sessions have finished.
Sometimes, people may find themselves in a mental health crisis. During the week, we explore what it means to experience a mental health crisis, how to recognise the signs in yourself or someone else, and how to reach out for help.
A mental health crisis can happen for a number of reasons, sometimes out of the blue. A crisis could be a triggered by an event such as a bereavement, relationship breakdown or work related stress - anything that can heighten stress and can feel like a lot to deal with. Some individuals might have an existing mental health condition and experience a mental health crisis, others may never have experienced mental health concerns before.
At the end of the week we hear from Suze, a Carer Peer Support Worker, who provides five top tips for those caring for someone with a mental health illness. Many people in caring roles will experience burnout and exhaustion. It is really important that carers look after their own wellbeing, whilst caring for someone else and Suze's video offers some great advice.
Remember, if you need mental health support for yourself, for someone else, or as a carer, we are here for you, call 0800 448 0828 any day, any time, for any one.