Small Steps to Better Mental Wellbeing

Mental Health Awareness Week takes place between 11 to 17 May this year  (Mental Health Awareness Week | Mental Health Foundation) and this year’s theme is “Action”. 

Volunteering can have a profound effect on mental wellbeing and Barnsley Museums and Heritage Trust were delighted to receive funding last year from Awards for all to support the Cannon Hall Museum volunteering programme. This has allowed volunteering to continue throughout the winter months when the museum is closed to the public and when people are most at risk of becoming lonely and isolated.  

Here, some of those volunteers share their ‘top tips’ on how they support their own wellbeing as well as that of their friends and family.  

What can I do to support my own wellbeing? 

• Exercise (any form, shape and time!) whenever you can and any you like 

• Walking every day in the fresh air. It’s really helpful to me mentally as well as physically. 

• Being in nature and staying connected – walking near water (rivers, lakes, reservoirs) 

• Get out in the fresh air and exercise. It can really help if you’re feeling low. 

• Eat well – trying a range of different food, new recipes etc.  

• Practice Mindfulness – being ‘in the moment’, noticing all sensations, breathing exercises 

• Crafting – developing skills and practising crafts that you like and also trying something new  

• Making time to regularly see friends for a coffee/chat/walk 

• Socialising and seeing people is important for my mental health. I find volunteering great for this. 

• Spending time with loved ones, and keeping in touch with friends and family 

• Some quiet/meditative time. Reading is also a brilliant way to relax. Nothing better than losing yourself in a book for a while. 

• Meditation and hypnosis – they help me calm my mind, reset, and get through difficult moments. 

• Creative expression for example watercolour painting which soothes and settles me both mentally and physically.  

• I find creating things for others very fulfilling. 

• Don’t bottled up problems. Talk to someone. It usually helps. 

• Keep active, especially in retirement – volunteer!  

• Connect often with family and friends 

• Surprise others with acts of kindness – to those you know or to strangers e.g. give a bunch of flowers or bake a cake  

• A few other things that help me personally include reading (especially audiobooks), writing poetry, singing in a choir, and – when I’m able – dancing. All of these give me a sense of joy, expression, and connection. 

What can I do to support the wellbeing of other people? 

• Be kind and listen instead of just talk at them. 

• Make time for them which may include dropping them a quick message asking how they are doing or even a quick coffee date during lunch break. 

• Check in on them whenever you can especially if you haven’t heard from them for a while, even if it’s a quick text. 

• Truly listen – being present and allowing someone space to share without rushing to respond. 

• Small acts of connection – a message, a call, or a quick meet-up can make a real difference. 

• Share and give – whether through volunteering or simply offering time and kindness, giving to others is incredibly grounding.   

“…Conversations around wellbeing, reflection, and awareness are very much part of everyday life for us. It’s encouraging to see society becoming more open about discussing mental health…” 

“… recovery is very much about taking things one step, and sometimes one moment, at a time.” 

Cannon Hall Museum Volunteering Team (house)