MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID
Mental Health Campaigns
Be Your Whole Self
Join the campaign 14 March 2023
As a social enterprise, MHFA England want to create an unshakable belief that we can all talk freely about mental health and seek support when we need it.
At this challenging time, we believe organisations must invest in staff wellbeing, so that everyone can bring their whole self to work.
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MHFA England have put together some guidance on how you can support your own and others' mental health, including your colleagues, family and friends.
Let’s work together to create a society where everyone’s mental health matters.
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BRING your whole self to work...
wherever that may be.
In 2023 we shouldn't have to leave parts of our identity behind - be that our cultural or ethnic background, sexuality, or health - when we work.
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My Whole Self aims to create a healthier workplace culture by strengthening human connections. Workplaces play a key role in creating a society where everyone’s mental health matters.
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We've put together resources on the following topics to help organisations support employees to be their whole self and if you would like to receive a copy of these, please email: admin@rejuvenatementalhealth.co.uk​​​​​
THE STORIES
Learn about the stories behind The Last Photos and the people in them, as told by the family members and friends who shared the images with us. These are the last photos of people who died by suicide.
The Last Photo exhibition can be found at Riverside Grass, London Southbank, SE1 9PP
Monday 20th - Sunday 26th June 2022
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FIND OUT HOW YOU
CAN HELP SAVE A LIFE
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We can help you know what to say and what to do. We know talking about suicide can seem awkward and uncomfortable - but it could also be the most important conversation you ever have.
Talking saves lives.
It might sound simple but it really does.
So we need to make talking about suicide a normal part of how we look after each other and ourselves. To remove that stigma around it so people are more likely to ask for help and for people to be able to help those they’re worried about.
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That’s why we’re here to give you the tools you need to start a potentially life-saving conversation or point someone in the direction of an expert who can help. So that no one has to struggle on their own.
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125 people die by suicide every week in the UK - that's 18 people a day.
And 75% of these suicides are male.
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125 people die by suicide every week.
It can be hard - sometimes impossible - to notice that somebody is having suicidal thoughts.
Anybody can feel suicidal.
But we can all help save a life.
By starting a conversation, we can all help stop suicide. By removing the stigma that surrounds suicide, we can make it an everyday conversation. Together we can make it easier for everyone to talk about how they’re feeling. Openly. Without judgement. Without shame. So that no one has to struggle on their own.
Mental Health Awareness Week 2021
#ConnectWithNature
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Hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, Mental Health Awareness Week takes place from 10-16 May 2021. This year, everyone is invited to #ConnectWithNature to support their mental health.
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Evidence shows that nature is good for our mental health. Connecting with nature can help prevent mental health issues. This has never been more evident than during the pandemic. During this time, 45% of us reported that being in green space had been vital for our mental health.
Learn more about Mental Health Awareness Week and this year's theme at the Mental Health Foundation’s website.
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Share your My Whole Selfie in the great outdoors
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This Mental Health Awareness Week, MHFA England is celebrating #MyWholeSelf in the great outdoors.
Share a My Whole Selfie and show us how you #ConnectWithNature.
Our My Whole Self resources can support you and workplace’s wellbeing throughout the year. Use our guidance on supporting your mental health while working from home to build the great outdoors into every working day.
Check in on your own and others' mental health with the My Whole Self MOT. Or strengthen your working relations by hosting an activity.
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Every Mind Matters
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Every Mind Matters encourages everyone to understand more about mental health, how to look after it, and how to support others.
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MHFA England is excited to be a part of the Every Mind Matters campaign, delivered by Public Health England (PHE) for World Mental Health Day 2019.
We support Every Mind Matters because we believe it will be a huge step forward in improving the mental health of the nation, giving everyone free resources that they can use to manage their mental health.
We’re proud to have been an informing partner in developing the Every Mind Matters self-care tool and to have helped with the pilot in the West Midlands
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​Coronavirus and wellbeing
Every Mind Matters has released guidance on coronavirus and wellbeing, including:
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Ten tips to help if you are worried about coronavirus
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Looking after children and young people
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Seven simple ideas to tackle working from home
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Advice on mental wellbeing while staying at home
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Host a film screening & self-care session
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The perfect activity to mark World Mental Health Day - or any day of the year. MHFA England has developed a self-care session plan and slide deck which you can use to:
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Raise awareness about self-care and how it can support our mental wellbeing
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Encourage people to talk about and think about their own self-care.
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Introduce the Every Mind Matters campaign from Public Health England (PHE).
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Encourage people to start using the Every Mind Matters tool to create their own self-care plan​
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What is #EmpowerHalfHour?
​Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England has put together a range of themed, simple, and mostly cost-free activities below to help you take part in Mental Health Awareness Week.
Each activity is something you can do together as a team and it takes only 30 minutes!
How do we get involved?
There are five themed activities so you can run an #EmpowerHalfHour across different working days during Mental Health Awareness Week. Or you may choose to run just one or two sessions, it’s up to you!
Themes:
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Motivate
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Share
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Move
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Discover
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Bond
Each activity is something you can do together as a team and it takes only 30 minutes. The activities are flexible - from going for a coffee and chat to beginners’ meditation. There is something suitable for all workplaces.
Activities can be supervised or people can be encouraged to take them up themselves.
Our mini-toolkit below has everything you need to kickstart your activities.
Mark Mental Health Awareness Week 2019
with your own
#EmpowerHalfHour
Why get involved?
​Share your support for Mental Health Awareness Week and enable everyone to get involved while doing something positive for the mental health of your whole workplace!
Taking just a half hour break for a change of scenery or activity can boost energy levels and help to focus the mind.
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The #EmpowerHalfHour activities will help you to explore the link between mental and physical wellbeing, encourage colleagues to connect, and support them to start new, healthy habits. There is real value in encouraging employees to bond as a team too. It helps to create a good work environment, increases job satisfaction, and can even help people to produce better work.
Better work relationships provide a foundation that may mean it’s easier to spot the signs when someone’s struggling with their mental health. And in turn, help people feel comfortable in coming forward to speak to someone at work if they are experiencing issues.
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Share your activities
We'd love to see what you get up to. Share your plans and pictures of your activities on social media @MHFAEngland and use the hashtag #EmpowerHalfHour. We’ll be reposting all your great work to celebrate!
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Kindness
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Hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, Mental Health Awareness Week will take place from 18-24 May 2020. To celebrate this year's theme of kindness, we'll be shining a spotlight on the many acts of kindness carried out by our community.
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Throughout the week on our blog we'll be sharing stories of kindness from the 1 in 70 people trained in Mental Health First Aid England skills.
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If you'd like to share your story, please get in touch and tell us how you've been supporting friends, family and colleagues over the past few weeks.
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Learn more about Mental Health Awareness Week and this year's theme at the
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Mental Health Foundation's website.