Mental Health Awareness Week
15th – 21st May 2023
Mental Health Awareness Week is organised by the Mental Health Foundation and is taking place from 15th-21st May, 2023. This year’s theme is ‘Anxiety,’ to help increase awareness and understanding of anxiety and think about things we can do to help us feel calmer and happier.
Having some anxiety – or worries – is totally normal. But sometimes our thoughts can get carried away and our worries get on top of us.
It happens to lots of people. In fact, the Mental Health Foundation says anxiety is one of the most common mental health problems we can face. In a recent survey they carried out, a quarter of adults said they felt so anxious that it stopped them from doing the things they want to do some or all of the time.
On a positive note, there are lots of things we can do to help us feel less anxious. One very simple way is with kindness.
Kindness and Mental Health
Why Kindness?
Kindness is a simple way to help EVERYONE. When we are kind to each other, it helps us to feel connected, which means we forge new friendships or deepen existing ones. Research has also shown that when we’re kind, when someone is kind to us or even if we just witness kindness, our bodies release feel-good hormones which lift our mood, giving us what’s known as a ‘Helper’s High’. It’s also been shown that people who are kind have much lower anxiety levels, age more slowly and have healthier hearts. Kindness isn’t just a nice thing to do, but can help us improve our own mental health and wellbeing, while helping others at the same time. And Mental Health Awareness Week is a perfect time to start!
Mental Health Awareness Week Virtual Assembly
We are hosting a live virtual assembly for Mental Health Awareness Week.
Date: Monday 15th May, 2023.
Time: 1.30pm
Running time: 30 minutes
Suitable for: Key Stages 1 and 2.
Mental Health Awareness Week
Resources for Teachers
Lesson Plans
We have a range of free video lesson plans focussed on all aspects of kindness, which are a great resource for Mental Health Awareness Week. They cover topics such as the impact kindness has on our physical and mental health, the importance of self-kindness, and how kindness can help us connect with others. Our lesson plans are designed for Key Stage 1 & 2, and meet many of the aims and objectives of the PSHE curriculum.
Self-Kindness Tips for Children
Our Self-Kindness page is all about why it’s so importance to be kind to our minds. Read 10 things we can do to help look after our mental health.
Visit our Self-Kindness page
Resources for children
Kids’ Kindness Club
Join our free Kids’ Kindness Club and you will receive a fortnightly email newsletter with Kindness Challenge, kind stories, competitions, quizzes, activities and the chance to earn your Kindness Badge and win prizes!
This week in our Kids’ Kindness Club, we are talking about Mental Health Awareness Week, with a Kindness Challenge for children to complete our Positive Self-Talk activity sheet.
Kindness Calendar
Our Kindness Calendar can help you to get into kind habits – you’ll be spreading kindness for a whole month! Activities include being kind to yourself, being kind to others and being kind to the planet.
Kindness Books
Browse a selection of some of our favourite kind books.
Browse Kindness Books
You can find more free teaching resources here.
CONTACT US
52 Lives,
PO Box 3154
Reading, RG1 9AT
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