Join the MindWell Week of Kindness for Mental Health Awareness Week
Download the Week of Kindness Planner now
This week (18th-24th May), MindWell, the mental health website for people in Leeds, is celebrating Mental Health Awareness Week, with a whole Week of Kindness, exploring different themes and activities each day.
The Week of Kindness social media campaign will provide new resources and lots of ideas to help us all think about how we can be kind to ourselves and to others during this difficult and uncertain time. Key campaign resources include:
MindWell Week of Kindness – seven days, seven themes
Monday - Be kind to your mind - downloadable resource
Tuesday - Be kind to your body - downloadable resource
Wednesday - Talk kindly to yourself - downloadable resource
Thursday - Spread kindness - downloadable resource
Friday - Be kind and generous to others – it makes you feel good! - downloadable resource
Saturday - Be kind to the world - downloadable resource
Sunday - Be kind every day - downloadable resource
Follow MindWell on Twitter @MindWellLeeds
From positive self-talk and improving our self-care to being kind online and clapping for carers, there's lots we can do to be kind to ourselves and to the people and world around us.
Download MindWell's Week of Kindness Planner to help you, your group, household or work team start thinking about how you can get involved. They'll also be sharing the topics on their social media channels each day, have tips for ways to bring more kindness into your life and ask you to share your ideas and stories.
During the week, Mindwell will also be promoting events that are happening, as well as mentioning blogs and messages from other local organisations. They will also be asking you to use their Week of Kindness Planner (blank version) so you can write down your own ideas and intentions each day.
The theme for the last day of MHAW 'Be kind every day' asks us all to think about the kindness experienced and how we can take it forward into our future lives. We've all seen the power of kindness spreading across our streets, city and organisations, as well as nationally and globally. The pandemic has given people the chance to show compassion and community spirit in ways we've not experienced on such a large scale for a long time. Many people are saying how much they want the spirit of kindness to continue beyond the coronavirus outbreak.
Mental Health Awareness Week is an annual event, hosted by the Mental Health Foundation (MHF). Mark Rowland, the chief executive, made a decision to change the planned theme, this year, in response to the coronavirus outbreak, when he was moved by an act of kindness from a supermarket staff member who brought umbrellas for people queueing in the rain. As the MHF says:
“…kindness is an antidote to isolation and creates a sense of belonging. It helps reduce stress, brings a fresh perspective and deepens friendships. Kindness to ourselves can prevent shame from corroding our sense of identity and help boost our self-esteem. Kindness can even improve feelings of confidence and optimism."
Kindness is good for our mental health, physical health, families, workplaces and city. So let's keep on being kind.
