James has welcomed Mental Health Awareness Week which this year focuses on connecting with nature to achieve good mental health.
Mental Health Awareness Week is open to everyone. It is all about starting conversations about mental health and the things in our daily lives that can affect it. This year the aim is for as many people as possible – individuals, communities and governments – to think about connecting with nature and how nature can improve our mental health.
The week is an opportunity for people to talk about all aspects of mental health, with a focus on providing help and advice. The theme of nature was chosen because being in nature is known to be an effective way of tackling mental health problems and of protecting our wellbeing.
James said: "In North West Norfolk we are lucky enough to have stunning countryside and coastline. During the pandemic many people turned to nature and the positive benefits of getting outdoors, watching birds, or other wildlife are significant. When I have a lot on my mind there's no better way to clear my head and that's why connecting with nature is an apt theme of mental health awareness week."
The Mental Health Foundation's research has shown that being in nature has been one of the most popular ways the public have tried to sustain good mental health at a challenging time.
What are the goals for the week?
The Mental Health Foundation have two clear aims. Firstly, to inspire more people to connect with nature in new ways, noticing the impact that this connection can have for their mental health. Secondly, to convince decision makers at all levels that access to and quality of nature is a mental health and social justice issue as well as an environmental one.
2021 is going be a huge year for nature: a new Environment Bill will go through the UK Parliament which will shape the natural world for generations to come; the UK will host the G7 nations where creating a greener future will be a key priority and a historic international UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) will be hosted in Glasgow in November.
What you can do?
Mental Health Foundation want to hear your stories of how nature has supported your mental health. This might be as a simple as tending to a house plant, listening to the birds, touching the bark of trees, smelling flowers or writing a poem about our favourite nature spot.
Whatever it is for you, Mental Heath Foundation invites you to #ConnectWithNature and share what this means for you.
For more information about this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week visit mentalhealth.org.uk/mhaw or join the conversation on social media using #ConnectWithNature and #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek
