Taking place every May, Mental Health Awareness Week is a brilliant initiative that brings the UK together to focus on getting good mental health. We’ve been marking it early this year so as not to clash with exams, but our focus remains the same as we try to look at ways to encourage and engage with positive mental health.
The theme for 2025 is community. Being part of a safe, positive community is vital for our mental health and wellbeing. We thrive when we have strong connections with other people and supportive communities that remind us, we are not alone. But what exactly do we mean by community?
A community can take many forms. It may involve:
- people who live in the same area
- people who work or study in the same place
- a network of supportive people
- groups formed around shared interests, values, beliefs or cultural identities
Communities can happen both online or in a physical place – you don’t always have to meet up in person to feel connected. Being part of a community can make life feel more meaningful and enjoyable, help us feel happier and safer, and improve our mental health – these benefits happen both digitally and in real life.
Our focus is the wonderful Breakthrough community of course, providing a sense of belonging, safety and support. Being part of a community can make life feel more meaningful and enjoyable, help us feel happier and safer, and improve our mental health. Everyone at Breakthrough, students and staff alike, benefits from being part of something bigger. And if you’re wondering how, this useful breakdown from Mental Health Foundation explains how being part of a community has powerful benefits for our mental health and overall wellbeing:
1. Social connections can reduce isolation
2. Community builds a sense of belonging
3. We get a sense of purpose through community involvement
4. Community can reduce symptoms of mental health issues
5. Life feels more satisfying when you’re part of a community
6. Community can ease psychological distress
7. Higher risk groups are healthier and happier when part of a community
Read their article in full here. It includes Ten tips on how to get involved in your community.
Wear it Green Day is a really visible way of shining a spotlight on mental health and standing up as being part of a national community that prioritises positive mental health. Staff in all our centres turned green to mark it this year!
