Take action this mental health awareness week!
Mental Health Awareness Week is here! The theme for Mental Health Awareness Week 2026 is Action. Because, while awareness is vital, real change comes when we take action too.
Why action?
Mark Rowland, Chief Executive at the Mental Health Foundation tell us: “Together, we’ve come a long way on mental health, but we can’t risk going backwards. There’s still much we can do to prevent people becoming unwell in the first place. We’re asking people to take action for good mental health – for yourself, for someone else, for all of us.
“Our individual actions matter, and when we come together we are even more powerful. Taking even small actions can give us feelings of hope and make us feel less powerless. If we do this together – we can create mentally-healthy communities, schools and workplaces.”
Top ten actions to support good mental health
These simple actions may help lift your mood and improve your ability to cope with life. Try a couple and find which works best for you.
- Plan something to look forward to
Making plans for things we enjoy can increase our sense of hope, which is important for our mental health. It could be a plan to sit down with a cup of tea and take a quiet five minutes, or a long-term plan for an ambitious trip. Whether it’s a big or small goal, the important thing is to plan it.
- Eat well
One of the simplest ways to improve mental health is by eating a healthy, balanced diet. Not only can it support your emotional health, but introducing small habits, such as staying hydrated or having fruit snacks, can help make changes stick easier.
- Get closer to nature
Spending time in nature can boost your mood, lessen stress, and help you concentrate.
- Get good sleep
Good quality sleep helps your brain work better, lifts your mood, and is good for your overall health.
- Get creative
Spending time on creative activities is a great way to help ease stress and anxiety. Carve out some time to listen to music, paint, sing, or do whatever you enjoy most.
- Move regularly
Being active can boost your mood and raise your self-esteem. It’s also an effective stress management technique. Whether you go for a walk, do some yoga, or vigorously clean the kitchen, it all counts.
- Try mindfulness
Being fully aware in the present moment can positively change the way you feel about life and how you approach challenges. Aim to notice the colour of the sky, the sound of leaves, or the feeling of your feet on the ground.
- Make time for your friends
Having good relationships with others can help you feel like you belong, allow you to share experiences, and receive emotional support. It’s a great reason to have a catch-up with a friend on the phone.
- Be kind
Bad days happen to everyone. If you’re having a tough time, remember to treat yourself with kindness and understanding. You’re doing the best you can
- Talk things over with someone you trust
It can take a lot of courage to tell someone else how we’re feeling or what we’re finding hard. Just talking things through with a person we trust can feel like a relief and make us feel less alone
How to get involved in Mental Health Awareness Week:
- Join the conversation about mental health – how to protect and nurture it, and what actions we can take for ourselves, for someone else, for all of us. Get involved with the conversation and share your own ideas and experience of taking action for good mental health using #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek
- Wear it Green Day is on 14 May – we invite everyone to take part, wear green and raise awareness and money to support good mental health for all. Wear something green for the day – at work, at school or just because! Sign up at Wear it Green Day | Mental Health Foundation and receive a pack and resources
- Tips for taking action – find the free-to-download tipsheets
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