For Mental Health Week, I launched a new mental health guide, available below. As a former teacher responsible for the well-being of young people, I understand well the importance of looking after physical health as well as mental health, and I was keen to create and promote a booklet that could help my constituents.
The booklet contains a wealth of advice, from how to understand your mental health and such feelings as anxiety and worry, to then how to take actions that can help to improve it, such as ideas for getting out and about, and links to further resources to explore. I do understand that even with the continued successful rollout of vaccines, the return to work, school, and even in-person socialising post-Covid is a very stressful and anxious time for many people, and I think that it is important that this is recognised.
As my booklet advises, being out in open and green spaces is great for both your physical and mental health, and I really want to emphasise that North Devon is certainly a very suitable place for this. However, as the booklet explains, what works for one person will not necessarily work for another, so it is right that everyone takes time to consider what suits them best, and what they can do to improve their mental health.
Everyone is welcome to download, print, and share it as they wish, with a particular emphasis on helping those who may need that help. This mental health booklet is supported by Ask For Jake, a charity based in Braunton focused on suicide, self-harming, eating issues, and other problems.