Today marks the last day of Mental Health Awareness Week 2020.
Awareness days, weeks and months are wonderful at doing just that, raising awareness for something that perhaps isn’t talked about enough, isn’t known about enough or isn’t thought about enough. However, these awareness periods are there to remind us that things exist, but not only for - in this case - one week in the year, but for every week in every year.
This year the word which was chosen was ‘Kindness’.
“Hearts that beat to the tune of kindness can change the rhythm of the world.”
- C.J. Peterson
We show kindness to others whenever we can but how much kindness do we show to ourselves? This evening, tomorrow, or whenever you’re reading this, think about the last time you did something kind for yourself (this doesn’t include taking time for yourself to hang out the washing, tidying up the toys, weeding, watering the garden or washing up by the way!!) but truly just for yourself?
My husband took this photo yesterday at our local beach. I’m sure that I, like every person reading this, whether male or female, parent or not, has ups and downs, but as I jumped up into the fresh sea air with the wind blowing as hard as it could, and my children ran around asking what Mummy was doing.. then landing with a cloud of sand at my feet... for those short seconds, I felt like I was flying and I forgot about what was happening in the world right now.
We all need these moments, however brief, in our ever increasing busy days.
So when you can grasp a few seconds, minutes or hours for your own mind to run wild and free, grab them and smile to yourself knowing that your mind is yours and you have the freedom to go anywhere you choose!