Highland communities get behind Stress Awareness Month

In partnership with the Highland Community Planning Partnership

Highland Community Planning Partnership supports Stress Awareness Month and encourages communities across Highland to continue to play their part in the ‘Community’ based theme throughout the month of April.

Stress Awareness Month is held each year in the month of April to raise awareness of the causes and cures for our modern stress epidemic. 

The COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of the last two years have been immensely challenging, resulting in many people across Highland experiencing a significant increase in stress, a deterioration in their normal coping mechanism; that in turn may have also contributed to poor mental health. Disrupted social lives, the worry of the pandemic, cancellation of gatherings, travel restrictions and work/home schooling impacted all ‘normal’ routine. However, one positive to emerge from pandemic and the reason for selecting as this year’s Stress Awareness Month theme was the amazing strength of ‘Community’. 

Communities across Highland have played an integral role throughout the pandemic, demonstrating resilience and collective efforts to support people. Loneliness and social isolation remain a significant risk factor for both deteriorating mental health and suicide. As restrictions lift it’s vital to continue to support people as we immerge post-pandemic.

Ways to reduce stress and improve mental wellbeing:

• Socialising - with others has multiple benefits for our mental health.  Whether it’s a sport, hobby classes or volunteering, activities give meaning and purpose to our lives and can help build confidence.  An opportunity to laugh and talk with others in social situations serves to turn focus outwards.  Being able to talk through problems and share worries with others decreases stress levels.  As the saying goes, a worry shared is a worry halved, and less worry equals less stress.
• Volunteering – is good for reducing stress because, much like socialising, it turns our focus outwards.  Helping others with their problems, can help gain a positive perspective on our own difficulties.  Plus, there are associated benefits when working together with other like-minded people to achieve a worthwhile goal, uniting in us in a shared sense of purpose.
• Adopt a positive mindset - Being in control of your thoughts increases your ability to find solutions to challenging situations and to deal more effectively with stress.
• Conversations have the power to change lives, helping to create supportive communities where we can begin to talk openly about mental health and feel empowered to seek help when we need it.

Highland Community Planning Partnership has a dedicated Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery group which signposts individuals and communities to trusted sources of support for mental health and wellbeing including where to get help in a crisis; resources and weblinks to support our mental wellbeing; and learning tools to build skills and confidence in having conversations about mental health and suicide prevention. There is a ‘Prevent Suicide Highland’ app which allows users to complete a ‘Prevent Suicide’ safety plan and can be completed with the help of a trained listener or with a friend or family member.

It also includes telephone numbers for local and national helplines which can offer support in some situations where people are feeling distressed or suicidal and there is guidance on what members of the public can do to help someone, they suspect is feeling suicidal.

To download the Prevent Suicide Highland app click here (external link)

If you, or someone you know needs support in relation to crisis/suicide, you can also call Samaritans on 116 123, Breathing Space on 0800 83 85 87, NHS24 on 111 or jo@samaritans.org