Learn simple steps to improve your mental health with Every Mind Matters
Everyday life can be overwhelming, that’s why the NHS and Public Health England (PHE) have teamed up to create Every Mind Matters, a platform to support mental health, improve wellbeing and support others.
As Mental Health Awareness Week continues, PHE and the NHS have teamed up to create Every Mind Matters: a new platform to support mental health.
EVERY MIND MATTERS
Taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health. With more than eight in 10 people having experienced early signs of poor mental health, it is important to look for support early.
“We’re all aware of the benefits of looking after our physical health and the steps we can take to keep ourselves healthy, but many of us are not as knowledgeable or proactive as we could be when it comes to our mental health,” explains Health Secretary, Matt Hancock.
“Every Mind Matters will benefit us all with an accessible tool to help manage our wellbeing at the click of a button.”
Feeling anxious, stressed, having low mood or trouble sleeping can all be a response to life’s challenges, especially if you are applying for higher education or about to enter the world of work, but they can become more serious if people don’t take action.
Over a quarter of people who experience signs of poor mental health wait at least six months before taking this action – Every Mind Matters shows people simple steps to feel better, sooner.
Tonight (7 October), a special film to promote the platform will air at around 8:45pm across ITV, Channel 4 and Sky channels. The short film is narrated by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
The powerful film features a range of people whose lives have been affected by poor mental health, including some well-known faces like Davina McCall, role model Katie Piper and GBBO’s Nadiya Hussain.
FREE PLAN
The new platform, which is free to use, uses a quiz to find the simple steps to better prepare you for life’s ups and downs.
The quiz asks questions like: How is your mood?; How well do you sleep?; How anxious or on edge do you feel?; Have you been worrying about anything?
“People are increasingly interested in practical steps they can take themselves to prevent and manage common mental health problems such as anxiety, stress and depression,” emphasises NHS chief executive, Simon Stevens. “That’s where Every Mind Matters comes in, as a helpful complement to the work of NHS mental health teams and services.”
This quiz enables you to create a personalised action plan, Your Mind Plan, with a set of self-care actions to deal with stress, boost mood, improve sleep and feel in control of your mental health.
Every Mind Matters shows you how to incorporate simple changes into your daily lives – like reframing unhelpful thoughts, breathing exercises and increasing physical activity.
UNDERSTANDING
In order to improve mental health and wellbeing, you have to first understand why this is so important and what could be affecting your mental health. Understanding mental health also means you can help friends or family who are struggling.
The platform gives information about mental health like what good mental health is and how to recognise signs of anxiety, stress or low mood.
Each set of information includes tips on how to cope, possible causes and where to get support, as well as a video from an expert in the area.
Every Mind Matters is backed by a coalition of mental heath champions and charities, so you can be assured this information is accurate and helpful.
Mind, Mental Health Foundation, Samaritans, Heads Together and Time to Change have all backed the new platform.
SUPPORT
Support is vital to tackling mental health issues whether this is chatting to a close friend or seeking expert advice.
Your Mind Plan will suggest support and advice services that could help lift your mood and combat mental health issues before they become more serious.
“At a time when only a third of people with a mental health problem get access to any kind of help and support, it’s important to do whatever we can to help people take steps to stay well and try and prevent mental health problems developing in the first place,” says chief executive of Mind, Paul Farmer.
“We hope that this campaign will help increase public awareness of how we can all stay as mentally well as possible.”
Get simple steps to better mental health with a free action plan from Every Mind Matters #everymindmatters
— One You (@OneYouPHE) October 6, 2019
The platform also signposts users to where they can receive urgent support. This can be used if you feel that life is not worth living, you are harming yourself or you have thought about self-harm.
It is important to tell someone if you are experiencing these feelings. Call Samaritans for free on 116 123 or text SHOUT to 85258 for 24/7 crisis text support.
It is important for everyone to look after their mental health, just like their physical health. Take the Every Mind Matters quiz now.
