Movement for Our Mental Health
The theme for Mental Health Awareness Week which took place in mid May, is set each year by the Mental Health Foundation, which is the UK’s leading mental health charity that has been in operation since 1949. In keeping with 2024’s theme of “Movement: moving for our mental health,” the Foundation wants you to “move your way by finding something that moves your body and mind.”
Physical activity improves not only bodies but also minds. In particular, it reduces stress, anxiety, burnout, and depression. However, barriers to being physically active do exist. Mental Health UK classifies these barriers as psychological and emotional, physical health, financial, time, and environment. The organization then proposes methods of overcoming these barriers so that you can get moving.
Simple ways to find moments for movement in your daily routine include getting off the bus a stop early, making an in-person meeting a walking one, pushing your child on a park swing, putting on music and dancing in your living room or in your kitchen while you cook dinner, going for a walk in your neighbourhood, and doing chair exercises when you’re watching television. The possibilities are endless.
For more information visit the Mental Health Foundation’s website.
