Teaching children about wellbeing is as important as road safety, best-selling author Matt Haig has said as he calls for mental health to be added to the school curriculum. However, Haig, who is known for his children's books which unpick mental health issues for young readers, warned against so-called 'helicopter parents' "editing" their sons and daughters' lives. Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, the 43-year-old who has written about his own severe depression, warned parents and schools they must "get ahead of the game". “It’s just as important as road safety,” he told The Telegraph, “I think we need to get ahead of the game on this, it’s evolving so fast and it feels like everyone’s so behind in terms of technology and health. “It should be ingrained at some point in the curriculum.” His call comes after this newspaper revealed a potential shake up of Ofsted’s school inspections to include an assessment on mental … [Read more...] about Matt Haig: teach children about mental health as readily as road safety
Health wellbeing magazine
Happy at work: Oscar-nominated Cartoon Saloon draws inspiration from its new wellbeing programme
Workplace wellbeing initiatives, like those at award-winning Cartoon Saloon, can provide significant benefits to employees and companies alike, writes Áilín QuinlanANIMATOR Tatiana Mazzei has a dream job drawing cartoons all day for the hugely successful, multi-award-winning Kilkenny company Cartoon Saloon.However, as the 34-year-old Brazilian points out, like every occupation, her work has its drawbacks. “We’re on the computer all day — drawing,” she says.Not surprisingly, working in the same position for most of the day sometimes results in a sensation of strain in her arm or hand. “I draw on a tablet so it’s quite sedentary. You’re mostly in the same position all day.”However, thanks to a series of workplace welbeing initiatives run this month by her employer, Tatiana is now very aware that she needs to move more during working hours to counteract the onset of repetitive strain. So she now stretches regularly, uses a special … [Read more...] about Happy at work: Oscar-nominated Cartoon Saloon draws inspiration from its new wellbeing programme
Anxiety on Love Island: when reality TV stars have mental health problems
“You wouldn’t wish those kind of feelings on your worst enemy… It got bad, it got horrible, I was in a proper dark place.” Three months after coming third on last year’s series of Love Island, contestant Chris Hughes opened up about his anxiety, which he had experienced since the age of 19. Hughes had previously written about his anxiety and panic attacks in an Instagram post on World Mental Health Day in 2016, and appeared to struggle with his emotions when starring on the reality show a year later. (Viewers defended him online when he was told not to “cry again” by his love interest on the programme.) Since then, he has teamed up with Topman to raise awareness about men’s mental health, and said he still has to focus on coping with the condition. “About a week ago I was just laying in bed, I know how to cope with it now a lot better than I did, and my breathing went a bit funny and I did get a little anxiety,” … [Read more...] about Anxiety on Love Island: when reality TV stars have mental health problems
Gardening can do what medicine only ‘tries to mimic’ for mental health, Monty Don says
Gardening can do what medicine "tries to mimic" for mental heath, Monty Don has said as he spoke about his own struggles with depression. The presenter and horticulturist has said that gardening is only just being explored as a treatment for mental health issues. He said in his column for Gardeners' World magazine: "That first snowdrop, the flowering of the rose you pruned, a lettuce you grew from seed, the robin singing just for you. These are smallthings but all positive, all healing in a way that medicine tries to mimic." Mr Don has spoken frequently and publicly about his depression, and cited the natural world - and his dog - as great helps. However, he has now spoken of his excitement for the future of research into gardening as treatment. He added: "We know that gardening is good for you. It is fantastic, all-round exercise. That is easy to see and evaluate. It inculcates high levels of well-being. That is undeniable and needs little measurement. We know that it … [Read more...] about Gardening can do what medicine only ‘tries to mimic’ for mental health, Monty Don says
Community garden for Stamford aims to aid mental health
A Stamford mental health charity wants people to have their say on a proposed community garden and men’s shed in the town.MindSpace want to put the community garden and shed on a large plot at the Uffington Road allotments thanks to the support of the Rotary Club, Round Table, Kiwanis and Stamford Town Council.A consultation event will take place on March 6 between 7pm and 8.30pm at the Shack on Recreation Ground Road for the public to have their day on the project.Dr Dan Petrtie, founder of MindSpace Stamford, said: “Keeping active is a key facet of wellbeing and to have the opportunity of a community garden and men’s shed will provide a fantastic opportunity for the citizens of Stamford and surrounding areas to keep active whilst making social ties and connection.“We are really fortunate to have Chris Young (editor of The Garden magazine) and his expertise to help us design this huge space which is going to be a really exciting project for … [Read more...] about Community garden for Stamford aims to aid mental health