Mental Health Awareness Week 2024
Event date:
13th - 19th May 2024
09:00 - 18:00
Introducing Mental Health Awareness Week 2024
Save the date! From May 13th to May 19th, Mental Health Awareness Week 2024 will be shining a spotlight on the theme of “Movement: Moving more for our mental health.”
We all recognise the importance of staying active for our mental well-being. However, in the midst of our daily routines, finding time for exercise can be a challenge. But fear not, because this year, we’re here to make it easier for you.
On this webpage, you’ll find a plethora of resources, tips, and information on ABS events related to this topic.
Download the Resource Pack
Events
Bennetts Associates x ABS presents ‘Move for Mental Health: An interactive webinar’
When: Wednesday 15 May, 13.00 – 14.00
Delivery: Online
Register here
ABS x Bennetts Associates present ‘Move for Mental Health’, an interactive webinar discussing the relationship between improving mental health and the movement to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week 2024.
Join ABS Wellbeing Lead, Anne Cosentino, Ekkist Director Ben Channon and yoga teacher Eleonora Usseglio (Founder of Re Set Pause), as they explain how we can use movement to aid good mental health and share some helpful tips for introducing movement into your busy schedule.
It can feel hard to find the time to exercise or move during our days, but it is vital for our physical and mental health. Government guidelines suggest adults aim to do 150 minutes of moderate activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week. This can take lots of different forms, from yoga to Pilates, park runs to carrying heavy shopping bags.
Movement can be about setting yourself goals or it can be just about enjoying the mind-body connection as your strength grows over time. It is also a great way to meet new people by joining sports-related clubs and activities.
During this interactive webinar, we will be discussing the benefits that movement has on our mental and physical health with Ben Channon highlighting links between movement and mindfulness and Eleonora Usseglio guiding us all through some useful desk exercises that can be used throughout the working day.
Register here
Eleonora Usseglio is a massage therapist and yoga teacher based in East London.
After years of practicing yoga and meditation, she felt the urgency of giving back and helping people feel the connection between mind and body.
Eleonora trained as an architect before moving to comms and setting up a new business. She was formerly at Acme and Gort Scott before leaving to work full-time on her business, Re-Set Pause, offering massages, yoga classes, and retreats. She understands the pressures faced by people working in the industry and has known of the work ABS do to support the architectural community for a long time.
Ben Channon is an architect, author, TEDx speaker and mental wellbeing advocate, and is well known in the industry as a thought leader in designing for happiness and wellbeing. He is a Director at wellbeing design consultancy Ekkist, where he helps clients and design teams to create healthier places, and researches how buildings and urban design can impact how we feel. Ben was a co-founder of the Architects’ Mental Wellbeing Forum, which is focused on improving mental health within the industry.
Ben has researched the relationship between buildings and happiness, resulting in him writing two books: ‘Happy by Design’ and ‘The Happy Design Toolkit’. Ben now speaks on this subject to businesses and universities around the world.
As an advocate for creating safe, mentally healthy workplaces, Anne has recently joined the ABS team as our Wellbeing Programme Lead. She is passionate about raising awareness of the importance of mental health and enabling everyone to thrive via practical actions and steps to improve workplace culture in the architectural community.
Anne was previously responsible for supporting the delivery of the RIBA’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy by supporting the organisation and its members, to become a more inclusive and diverse organisation and profession. Anne sits on several EDI related committees, panels, forums and networks, including the Mayor’s Greater London Authority Diversity Sounding Board, Architects’ Council of Europe’s Women in Architecture Taskforce; Architects Mental Wellbeing Forum and Women in Architecture UK.
Anne is a Mental Health First Aider and an advocate for creating safe, productive, mentally healthy workplace environments enabling everyone to flourish.
The Individual Perspective
When: Tuesday 14 May, 12.30 – 14.00
Delivery: Online
Book your spot
This 90-minute workshop provides an overview of common mental health difficulties which will include a summary of risk factors, signs, symptoms and just how these might manifest into how we handle stress, relate to others, and what choices we make. Alongside this we will look at other factors that can influence our emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing.
The interactive workshop will address some of the challenges we face today, ways of looking after your own mental health, maintaining your wellbeing and will provide information, tips, and tools to support you during these times.
What is covered:
- What mental health and wellbeing is and why it matters
- How to increase your mind-health awareness using the core principles of psychology
- The relationship between stress, resilience and mental health
- When to take action to prevent mental health problems escalating
- Tips, tools and interventions for improving our mind health
- Creating an Individual Wellness Action Plan.
This course is accredited by the CPD Certification Service, as a testament to the value and quality of the course and learning materials.
Book your spot
Mental Health First Aid training course
When: Tuesday 18 and Wednesday 19 June, 9.30 – 17.00
Cost: £250 per person (subsidised by ABS)
Delivery: TBC (Kindly sponsored by Domus, who are providing the venue and refreshments for this course)
Reserve your place
Introduction:
ABS is pleased to offer the Mental Health First Aid (MFHA) 2-day training course. This course is subsidised by ABS.
MHFA is a training course which teaches people how to identify, understand and help someone who may be experiencing a mental health issue.
ABS understands the importance of having a mental health first aider irrespective of size and budget. This is part of our commitment to working towards enabling mentally healthy workplaces.
Places are limited and are on a first come first serve basis.
About:
MHFA won’t teach you to be a therapist, but it will teach you to listen, reassure and respond, even in a crisis – and even potentially stop a crisis from happening.
You’ll learn to recognise warning signs of mental ill health and develop the skills and confidence to approach and support someone while keeping yourself safe.
You’ll also learn how to empower someone to access the support they might need for recovery or successful management of symptoms. This could include self-help books or websites, accessing therapy services through their GP, their school or place of work, online self-referral, support groups, and more.
What’s more, you’ll gain an understanding of how to support positive wellbeing and tackle stigma in the world around you.
Reserve your place
By becoming an MHFAider® with us you’ll have access to continuous support – well beyond your initial certification – so you are confident, empowered and motivated to carry out your role. You will get three years’ access to MHFAider® support and benefits which includes 24/7 digital support through the MHFAider Support App®. From there, you will find exclusive resources, ongoing learning opportunities and the benefit of joining England’s largest community of trained MHFAiders®.
