Mental Health Awareness Week 2021
Departments across the University have created a calendar of events to celebrate the week, allowing you to join in and find out more about mental health support available to you and others.
Calendar of Events from the University of Edinburgh to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week
- Contribute to research by completing the Sitting Behaviour and Working from Home Survey (Anytime)
- Sign up to receive the MindLetter - a weekly email on a theme, with a suggested mindfulness practice. Previous editions include Zoom Fatigue, Trouble Sleeping, and productivity pressures in a pandemic (Anytime)
- All this week you can tune in to various performances as part of the 36th Annual University of Edinburgh Dance Performance. Due to the show not being able happen in-person, groups are asking viewers to make a donation to the Mental Health Foundation.
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Come along to the Annual Big Dig - tree planting in partnership with the Woodland Trust (12pm or 1.30pm for 1 hour)
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Read the Bulletin article from James Saville (this will be released on Tuesday)
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Join Capacitar Tai Chi with Ali Newell, Associate Chaplain (1.10pm for 40 minutes)
- Join a Mindfulness Drop-in Session: Reflection & Inquiry with Dr Kitty Wheater (1.10pm for 40 minutes)
- Join a Mindful Doodling event (1pm for 50 minutes)
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Come along to the Annual Big Dig - tree planting in partnership with the Woodland Trust (12pm or 1.30pm for 1 hour)
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Come along to Words to Live By: a Nature and Mindful Poetry Workshop. Email mindfulness@ed.ac.uk to register (3pm for 1 hour)
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Student Counselling are hosting a workshop on ‘Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway: An Introduction to Anxiety Management. (11.15 for 1.15 hours)
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Join the University's Museum Services 'Take 30 Together' - a virtual event as part of their Prescribe Culture programme that allows you to explore heritage and culture and socialise online (1pm for 1 hour)
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Come along to the Annual Big Dig - tree planting in partnership with the Woodland Trust (12pm or 1.30pm for 1 hour)
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Join a Mindful Doodling event (4pm for 50 minutes)
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Positive Group will be running a live Q&A session over on Youtube where you can get your burning questions about how to support mental health in the workplace answered by our panel of experts. You can submit your questions here. To access the event and set a reminder please click here (1pm for 1 hour)
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Join a Hatha Yoga with Kirsten Newell session (12.10pm for 50 minutes)
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Join a Mindfulness Drop-in Session: Grounding & Replenishment with Dr Kitty Wheater, Mindfulness Chaplain (1.10pm for 50 minutes)
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Join the University's Museum Services 'Take 30 Together' - a virtual event as part of their Prescribe Culture programme that allows you to explore heritage and culture and socialise online (1pm for 1 hour)
- Get involved with National Walking Month and #walkthismay (Anytime)
- Read our Hints and tips for looking after your mental health and wellbeing with lockdown easing (Anytime)
- Access the Wellbeing Playlist from the University’s Online Development Toolkit (Anytime)
- Positive Group Twill be sending their subscribers a daily sip of science via email which will include a variety of tips, insights and resources from our expert psychologists to help improve understanding of mental health and what steps can be proactively taken to protect it. You can subscribe here (Anytime)
- Read SRS's post about Eco-anxiety and what you can do to soothe – and be soothed by – nature (Anytime)
More Information about Mental Health Awareness Week
The week, which is hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, is in its 21st year and runs from 10-16 May.
This year, the theme for the week is ‘Nature’. Across the country, people will be celebrating the mental health benefits of being around nature in their local community in a range of digital and creative ways.
Some of the ways people can participate in Mental Health Awareness Week:
- During Mental Health Awareness Week, why not try to make a habit each day of connecting to the nature in your local area? Stop to listen to the birdsong, smell the freshly cut grass, take care of a house plant, notice any trees, flowers or animals nearby. Take a moment to appreciate these connections.
- Share images/videos/or just sound recordings of the nature on your doorstep (and how this made you feel) on social media using #ConnectWithNature and #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek
- Use Mental Health Foundation resources in your family, school, workplace and community to join with thousands of people who will be finding new ways to connect with nature in their local environment.
Find out more
Top Tips for Connecting with Nature
Looking after your mental health
The Wellbeing Hub aims to bring together all University services available into one location.