It’s Mental Health Awareness Week and it could not have come at a better time. This is a time to consider our mental health as it’s such a central part of our lives that affect everything. When we have physical health issues we look to resolve or alleviate them, but this is often not the case with our mental health.
The theme this year is Kindness. I smiled when I saw this as kindness has the power to change the world. Caroline Flack’s famous words ‘In a world where you can be anything, be kind’. This has such deep meaning. Being kind can lift others as well as reassure them. Being kind is the act of giving; giving our love to another; to be compassion and understanding. As humans, love and kindness are often all we need. To be kind is good for us too. It produces feel-good hormones, reduces anxiety, increase our sense of self-worth, reduces stress and apparently allows us to live longer.
Kindness lights up our world and for parents, we model healthy attitudes and behaviours that are helpful to everyone. Children develop values and behaviours by what they see in others.
As an act of kindness, challenge yourself to commit 3 acts of kindness everyday this week. Notice what you do, how you felt and the effect it had on the recipient.
Here are a few links for further reading or you may want to google the benefits of kindness.
- The Many Benefits of Kindness
- BBC Newsround: Mental Health Awareness Week – The Importance of Being Kind
- Mental Health Foundation – Mental Health Awareness Week
Regards