Mental Health Awareness Week

This week our very own Caroline Scott attended a course that has opened our eyes and our minds – read her thoughts.

This week I had the pleasure of visiting Loates Management Training to attend the Mental Health First Aid Champion Course (MHFA England) delivered by Annie Litchfield (MCIPD)

Mental health is a subject that I thought I knew little about and wanted to explore in greater detail.  On the day I was somewhat apprehensive, not knowing what to expect, who would be there etc… but this feeling soon subsided when I met the course tutor, Annie Litchfield, who I must say, as well as having a wealth of knowledge, is a lovely friendly person, who instantly makes you feel at ease. 

The other delegates were a great bunch, there were only four of us in total, which is one of the reasons I booked onto this course as it was a small group.  We carried out a variety of activities to explore the subject matter as well as a discussing case studies and how we should deal with various situations if they occur.  Throughout the course, we spoke about recognising the signs that someone might need support with their mental health and discussed all the tools within our workbook, which we can also refer back to in the future.  After a delicious lunch, we were encouraged to take a walk outside to get some fresh air for our well-being, which was a real treat as the area around Darley Park is very pretty. 

One part of the course that has resonated with me, is the importance of movement as well as good nutrition and sleep and why this is so important to support good mental health.  I have a varied diet of fresh and home cooked food, but I will hold my hands up to the fact that I am guilty of sitting in front of my screen for hours, more sedentary than I should be.  It seemed the perfect opportunity, being Mental Health Awareness week, to share with my colleagues the importance of movement.  Following our discussions, we are now consciously making steps towards getting a healthy balance and finding ways to add exercise into our working day. By standing more, moving from desks, getting fresh air and drinking more water.  Some months ago, the Directors at Gravity gave all employees the opportunity to participate in yoga sessions within our working day with Aurora Yoga, to encourage mindfulness and movement.  These have been a real hit with many of us and have had a positive impact for many of the team, so thank you Sharon and Andy.

My journey through the world of Mental Health First Aid was nothing short of transformative. It’s hard to put into words but my mind feels lighter having this newfound knowledge and I feel much aware of the wellbeing of my colleagues as well as myself.

It was a great learning experience and an area I will continue to explore.  Thank you, Annie, and all at Loates Management Training.