Mental Health Awareness Week 2022

Over the course of this week, we will post some tips and resources to help to combat feelings of loneliness.

Resource 1 - Monday 9th May

Top Tips when you're feeling lonely

• Find people with similar interests - Don t worry if you haven't found "your people" yet.  There are many opportunities throughout life to meet similar people.
• Talk to someone - Opening up is brave. There is lots of support out there, including your GP, friends, family and school.
• Connect with people - Supportive relationships will help us feel less lonely.   Spend time with people you trust.
• Be mindful of social media - If social media is making you feel lonely, take a break or be aware of what content is making you feel this way.
• Explore ways to express your thoughts and feelings - Find out what works best for you. You could try journaling, sports or listening to music.
• Do things you enjoy - Doing things you enjoy and are confident in will make you feel happy!
• Look out for yourself - Feelings of loneliness are okay and can happen to everyone at some point. Do what makes you comfortable.
• Be kind - Showing gratitude for the things around us can help to make us feel more connected and less lonely.

A copy of this information in the form of a poster can be downloaded from the following link:  Mental Health Awareness Week 2022 - Resource 1 (PDF, 86 KB)(opens new window)

Resource 2 - Tuesday 10th May

Our second resource of the week is a guide for Parents and Carers called 'Loneliness: Finding our connections to feel less lonely' (opens new window)

Resource 3 - Wednesday 11th May

Supporting Mental Health Awareness Week, the Keep the Heid and Read initiative aims to celebrate reading, libraries and good mental health.  Research proves that reading for just 6 minutes a day can boost your mental health by 68%. 

You can find out more and pledge your minutes here:  https://www.keeptheheid.scot/ (opens new window)

Mrs Skinner, our Librarian has even found a 6 minute story for you to read: https://short-stories.co/stories/eleanors-the-worlds-largest-ball-of-twine-BPb2g1JMnpQ (opens new window)

Resource 4 - Thursday 12th May

Things you can do to stop feeling lonely

Focus on self-love. Spending time alone might not seem fun, but the more time you spend doing things you enjoy and being kind to yourself the more confident you will feel. It's ok to have time just for yourself.

Express your feelings. It is important to have ways to express yourself, even if right now you don't have people close to you who you can talk to. Keeping a journal can help you to track your mood and reading over it might help you to see things that keep happening in your life which you might need some help with. Some people like to express themselves through drawing, painting, music, fashion or sport.

Join a club. You don't have to be good at something to give it a go and enjoy it. A regular hobby with other people can help you build new friendships and have fun. It can feel really nerve-wracking to turn up to a new place, especially if the people already know each other, but you're likely to find people who are very happy and willing to help you settle in. If you feel anxious about meeting new people, have a read of the following webpage about anxiety (opens new window).

Resource 5 - Friday 13th May

More things to do to stop you from feeling lonely

Try Volunteering.   This can be a great way to learn a new skill, give back to your community, feel good about yourself and meet people passionate about the same things as you.  Vinspired (opens new window) have lots of volunteering opportunities which you can search for according to where you live.

Follow your passions. If there is something you absolutely love, there will be other people out there who feel the same. Whether that's an online fan forum or a local writers' group, find ways to connect with the things you love and you might be surprised about the opportunities that leads to.

Reach out if you're struggling.   Talk to someone you trust. It could be your parents or wider family members, like older cousins, aunts or uncles. Outside home, it could be a teacher,  a neighbour or a close family friend. You can also speak to your GP about how you are feeling.   They can listen, tell you about local services and support groups or they may suggest specific treatment for the you you're feeling.