Do One Thing: Joanna

I’m Joanna, Fundraising Manager here at Manchester Mind.

At the start of the pandemic, I had to re-reassess how to manage my own wellbeing and through those tough times last year, local walks ensured a few hours social contact each week with friends, because phone calls and zoom were just not the same as being with the people you care about.

Green spaces have always been a lifeline, but time in nature really has been my main focus over the last 18 months.  I’ve enjoyed exploring further to find quiet spots, sitting and watching the seasons change. Nature strengthened everyone’s sense of community too – encouraging local dog walkers, runners, families and people living alone to come together to find some warmth and laughter. I especially loved how we spontaneously transformed a local pine tree in our park into a festive wonder, each adding home-made decorations to the ever green branches.

A year later, as we head towards World Mental Health Day 2021, that same sense of wonder remains, taking time to look, even in familiar well-trodden places for the hidden joy in nature. I’m grateful to have access to local green spaces from my doorstep, as without them my mental health would have badly deteriorated, and for this October, I will “do one thing” by walking 10,000 steps in my local park, to get active and enhance my sense of wellbeing. There’s so much abundance and deep connection that we can find outdoors, even into the colder months.

I’ll celebrate this blessing during World Mental Health Day, and am looking forward to more time outside with friends as the season shifts once again.

We are marking the event by encouraging you to “Do One Thing” to support your own mental health and for the mental health of those around us. Read through some of our suggested things and don’t forget to share your #DoOneThing with us if you can.