Mental Health Awareness Week this year runs from 9 to 15 May, and the theme is loneliness. In a world where we are overwhelmed with ways to connect; phone calls, social media and video calls to name a few, it is still easy to feel lonely and anyone can experience loneliness at any point.
Strategies to manage loneliness
If you feel lonely, why not try some of these things:
- Join a class or a club - It could be an exercise class, something creative or just like-minded people chatting over coffee. Joining a class or club can introduce you to new people and provide a sense of belonging.
- Try some volunteering – find a cause you believe in and volunteering could help you meet new people, find a sense of belonging and bring you happiness from giving something back.
- Pick up the phone – Why not give a friend or family member you haven’t spoken to in a while a call and arrange a catch-up. You may find they are also feeling lonely, and you could help them too.
- Look after yourself – When you are feeling lonely, you might forget to take care of yourself in other ways. Eating nutritious meals and exercise can also boost your mood.
Remember, what helps one person may not help everyone, so if something isn’t working for you, there’s no shame in trying something different. There are lots of resources available online to help you manage your wellbeing and loneliness.
Connecting in Spelthorne
To help our customers in Spelthorne combat loneliness, we launched our Connecting People service. During the pandemic we made welfare calls to 2,775 of our customers, with the majority needing some kind of support or referrals, many suffering from loneliness.
Activities to support you
We also offer a range of activities that could support you and your family’s health and wellbeing, including coffee mornings, exercise classes and drop-in advice sessions. To find out what's available in your area, fill out our enquiry form and our Health & Wellbeing team will be in touch.
Financial support
We know that financial worries and debt can also impact your mental health, we regularly publish articles offering support and advice about this. If you’re worried about the increasing cost of living, read this article and see how we can help.
Fire safety works and wellbeing
We also offer a free 24/7 health and wellbeing programme for our customers affected by fire safety compliance works such as cladding removal. Find out more about this service.
We can support you with a range of needs, visit our Communities page to find out how, and if you are struggling with anything contact us and we will do our best to help.