People urged to be kind to their mind in Every Mind Matters campaign

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparites (OHID) has launched a Better Health - Every Mind Matters campaign urging the public to "be kind to your mind".

The campaign coincides with World Mental Health Day on Monday 10 October.

Research commissioned by OHID shows that 70 per cent of the UK report regularly experiencing the "Sunday Scaries".

The campaign calls on the public to do small things to make a big difference to their wellbeing. It also provides free tips and advice.

The website provides five questions, when they are answered, people can get a personalised Mind Plan, which gives them tips to deal with stress and anxiety, boost their mood, and sleep better.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Thérèse Coffey, said: "My focus is on making sure people can get the care they need, when they need it - and that includes for their mental wellbeing.

"The Every Mind Matters tool is a great way to build your mental resilience and help ward off the anxiety many of us feel on a Sunday."

The campaign is backed by BBC Radio 1 host Vick Hope, TV personality Scarlett Moffatt and pop star Tom Grennan, as well as leading psychologist Kimberley Wilson.

Psychologist, Kimberley Wilson, said: "Many people experience a feeling of heightened anticipatory anxiety on a Sunday, otherwise known as the ‘Sunday Scaries’. Often when people feel sad or anxious, they spend time trying to distract themselves, by binge watching TV or spending hours scrolling on social media, for example. But these ‘distraction’ habits can actually exacerbate the problem.

"It’s so important to enjoy every last minute of your weekend and start the week in the best frame of mind. So, if you experience the Sunday Scaries like clockwork every week or feel sad or anxious, try getting active, which can help you to burn off nervous energy, writing down or keeping a diary of what you are doing and how you feel at different times to help identify what’s causing anxiety and what you need to do to help manage it. Small things can make a big difference to our mental wellbeing."

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