It’s Mental Health Awareness Week

Most people feel anxious from time to time – which is why organisers of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week have chosen to focus on the issue.

Major life events such as starting a new job, exam pressures or moving home can all lead to feelings of anxiety, as can financial, family or relationship troubles.

Learning to recognise potential triggers, as well as taking steps to manage anxiety and protect your mental health, are therefore vital – so feelings don’t become overwhelming.

“Anxiety is a natural response to the uncertain world around us,” said Alexa Knight, of the Mental Health Foundation – lead organisation for Mental Health Awareness Week.

“If we don’t know how to cope with our feelings, they can stop us from doing the things we need or want to do, but there are things we can all do to manage anxiety.”

Tips for managing anxiety

Two of our own Resilience Hub staff – Assistant Psychologists Hina Yamagishi and Matt Hall – have drawn up their own top tips for tackling anxiety.

• Try a mindfulness exercise, such as guided breathing, to help relax.
• Take a walk in nature to clear your mind while getting some exercise.
• Grounding techniques can help with relaxing. The 54321 technique can be useful to help you stay present in the moment.
• Eat a rainbow each day – and make sure to include various colours in your diet from fruits and vegetables to receive different nutrients.
• Get into the habit of sleeping at regular times and include downtime before bed.

Dr Sophie O’Connor, a principal clinical psychologist with our Hub, today welcomed the move to highlight the topic of anxiety during Mental Health Awareness Week.

“Anxiety, whilst it can feel uncomfortable and unbearable at times, is an important emotion for survival,” she said.

“Anxiety enables us to be alert to anything that we might be facing that could be a threat. It’s like our internal fire alarm; sometimes it goes off because there is a fire, but sometimes it can go off because we’ve burnt some toast.

“Feeling anxious isn’t a bad thing, as it alerts us to possible danger. In fact, feeling anxious can mean our survival systems are working well!

“Equally, anxiety can sometimes take over if we get too many false alarms or if everything feels like a real fire. If you find that anxiety can become too much, the HNY Resilience Hub can help.”

Support is just a click away

The Humber and North Yorkshire Resilience Hub are here to provide wellbeing and psychological support for healthcare, emergency services and social care workers.

Our staff are trained mental health professionals with extensive experience of working with people struggling with their mental health.

Our team can offer access to quick and confidential 1-to-1 support, group or team support to staff and families living or working in the Humber and North Yorkshire region.

To access Hub support you can complete our wellbeing questionnaire to self-refer: Complete our wellbeing questionnaire – HNY Resilience Hub.

To help support your wellbeing, you can also download our HNY Our People App, designed to maintain and improve your wellbeing. The App features a range of self-help resources, with the tools to build healthy, positive habits into your everyday lives.

• To learn more about Mental Health Awareness Week visit the Mental Health Foundation website. The site also features advice on managing anxiety.