It’s Mental Health Awareness Week (10-16 May) and this year’s theme is nature and the environment.
Over the course of these uncertain and challenging times during the pandemic, I have developed a far richer, deeper affinity and appreciation for nature (I’m sure you’ll be feeling the same). Our green and blue spaces can really help us to recharge, relax and reinvigorate ourselves after spending so much time living in (and looking at) the same four walls.
In South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw (SYB), we’re very lucky to be one of the UK’s greenest regions; Sheffield is on the doorstep of the Peak District and the wider region home to a vast number of wonderful parks, nature reserves and wildlife trails.
As Programme Director for the Mental Health, Autism and Learning Disabilities workstream within the ICS I’m encouraged by the prospect of how much more we can do to support mental health and reduce health inequalities by improving access to our natural spaces.
Social prescribing is a burgeoning area of health and care and one that in the years to come, I hope, will support individuals and groups across our region to improve their mental health and physical wellbeing. We are currently working on green social prescribing and a number of other initiatives that aim to bring us closer to nature, and ultimately, bring nature closer to us.
On this latter point we know the two are intrinsically linked – our physical health and mental health rely on each other. So whether it’s making the time to go for a short walk, going for a jog with a friend or listening to the sounds of birdsong on your favourite meditation app, we should all take some time to care for ourselves as we would a friend, family relative or patient.
