Free Unlocking Mental Wellness Multi-Activity Day For Cumbernauld Citizens: Book Places Now

As part of Mental Health Awareness Week 2024, Cumbernauld Community Health Information Hub is inviting citizens of Cumbernauld and surrounding areas to attend a free multi-activity workshop spotlighting the hugely positive effects that moving, talking and knowing can have on our mental wellbeing.

Taking place from 13-19 May 2024, Mental Health Awareness Week is a campaign hosted by Mental Health Foundation with a view to bringing mental health into focus and raising awareness of the challenges that people often face with their mental health.

To this end, Unlocking Mental Wellness by Moving, Talking and Knowing will take place on Monday 13 May 2024 from 11.00am-2.30pm at Cornerstone House Centre (1 Esk Walk, Town Centre, Cumbernauld, G67 1BZ), with an open invitation extended to all (see below for booking details). This innovative one-day workshop is being funded by NHS Lanarkshire Health Improvement Service.

With Movement: Moving more for our mental health forming the theme of Mental Health Awareness Week this year, the first part of the workshop (11.00am-12noon) will involve a gentle and fun exercise initiative called CHANGE Fitness.

Delivered by a fully qualified fitness instructor, this element is designed for people looking to restart healthier habits at a gentle, measured pace. Participation can be undertaken seated or standing, with CHANGE Fitness suitable for both able-bodied people and those with limited mobility.

A lunch break will take place from 12noon-1.00pm (with soup, tea, coffee and refreshments provided for participants) before an afternoon session (from 1.00pm-2.30pm) which includes a training input exploring stress management techniques, strategies for resilience and information about local courses and resources that can help improve mental health.

The workshop will also incorporate an interactive discussion covering a range of mental health topics, noting that participants will not be asked to speak or contribute to this if they would prefer to listen only. Craig Russell, Community Development Officer at Cornerstone House Centre, commented:

“Unlocking Mental Wellness by Moving, Talking and Knowing is free of charge and suitable for people from all walks of life, including those currently experiencing a mental health challenge, people who want to find out more about improving their mental health and professionals working alongside people affected by mental health issues.

“Participants can choose to take part in the full workshop, or if they prefer only the morning (CHANGE Fitness gentle exercise initiative from 11.00am-12noon) or afternoon (training and interactive discussion) session. The event will be delivered in an informal, friendly and relaxed setting, with no pressure on any participants to do or say anything they are not comfortable with.

“It’s true indeed that there is no such thing as good health without good mental health. Many people face some kind of mental health challenge at some point in their lives.

“If it’s something you are going through right now, remember that you’re not alone and that with the right support most people get well again or find a way to cope and live a normal life again.

“It doesn’t matter how successful you are or how much you seemingly have going for you in life – mental health problems can strike anyone.

“It’s not a sign of weakness or failure in any way, it’s an illness. And like any illness or injury, with the right treatment things can get better and you can become stronger again.

 “Once upon a time it might have been an unusual step for people to speak about their mental health, but today it is recognised as healthy and purposeful for individuals to talk about their own experience of mental ill health and encourage others that that they can get better.

“The thing about mental health is that it is invisible. It doesn’t matter how perfect someone’s life might seem on the outside – how beautiful a body someone might appear to have, how good their family life might appear to be or how much they always seem to have everything together and in order – the truth is we don’t always know what is really going on in their lives.

“So remember to show compassion and be understanding to everyone you come across today. They might just be struggling with something that is hidden and need someone to talk to or be there for them.”

Cornerstone House Centre is an advocate of helping the people of Cumbernauld to improve their mental health. Indeed, the organisation is a provider of free courses such as Living Life to the Full, an award-winning programme which aims to help people experiencing low mood, depression and anxiety by using the approach of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

If you or someone you know is struggling with an area of their mental health right now, NHS 24 can be contacted by telephoning 111 free of charge between 8.00am and 12midnight every day of the year.

There are also a range of organisations and services available which offer support to those experiencing abuse, people dealing with domestic violence, those facing addictions, people going through bereavement, individuals who are victims of crime, people experiencing eating disorders, and those facing relationship or parenting difficulties.

Signposting to a mental health service suitable to you in the Lanarkshire area can be obtained by contacting Well-informed on 0800 073 0918 or emailing well-informed@samh.org.uk. Furthermore, a range of local mental health resources can be accessed by visiting the Elament website at www.elament.org.uk.

Meanwhile, a raft of key resources for local people seeking to improve their mental health, including details of the highly-rated self-help Calm Distress Online Course, can be obtained by visiting the Lanarkshire Mind Matters website. Social media posts and other promotional materials relating to Mental Health Awareness Week 2024 can also be downloaded by clicking here.

To book free places on Unlocking Mental Wellness by Moving, Talking and Knowing this Monday, please contact Cornerstone House Centre on 01236 739220 or email health@cornerstone-house.org.uk.

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GO GREEN IN CUMBERNAULD TO IMPROVE YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

As well as Mental Health Awareness Week 2024, Green Health Week takes place from 11-18 May 2024 with a view to raising the profile of the benefits of green health and greenspaces to overall health and wellbeing.

It is true that we’re often happier when we’re outdoors. Think back to your childhood, when you climbed trees, built dens in the woods, went fishing in the local river and ran wild in open spaces. Maybe we can’t climb trees anymore or run as fast as we once could, but we know that spending time in nature is good for the mind and soul and there is evidence to support this.

For most of human history, we lived as part of nature. It is thought-provoking to consider that it is only in the last five generations that so many of us have lived and worked in a context that is largely separated from nature. And, it is surely no coincidence that numbers of people affected by mental health issues have raised exponentially in that time.

There are many ways to feel the benefits of nature, including walking, gardening, cycling, volunteering, outdoor learning and play, as well as just enjoying being out in green spaces and rural areas.

Did you know that steady-paced walking for 30 minutes each day for five days reduces the risk of not only physical illness, but also depression? It is known that nine out of 10 people who visit the outdoors report improvement in their mental health. Being outdoors is also an excellent way of removing yourself from the stresses of work, parenting, finance and health.

Greater Cumbernauld has many places in which people can enjoy the advantages of nature, including Palacerigg Country Park, Cumbernauld House Park, Colzium House and Estate and several golf courses, to name just a few. Another fun and simple way to be outdoors and help your mental health is through taking part in health walks organised by Get Walking Lanarkshire.

For those who would like to get their hands a bit dirtier, there are lots of outdoor volunteering opportunities available in Cumbernauld too. Organisations and initiatives such as Cumbernauld Living Landscape, The Conservation Volunteers (TCV), Scottish Wildlife Trust, Watch Us Grow, North Lanarkshire Active Schools and Seven Lochs Wetland Park operate in the local area and regularly recruit volunteers for outdoor activities and events.

If you would like to find out more about connecting with nature in the Cumbernauld area, NHS Lanarkshire’s Green Health portal is an excellent resource. Further information, advice and signposting can be obtained by contacting Cumbernauld Community Health Information Hub on 01236 739220 or emailing health@cornerstone-house.org.uk.