Mental Health Awareness

Mental Health Awareness week is acknowledged in May and this year it focused on anxiety. 

Everyone can experience anxiety at some point in their life.

Whether it’s a student feeling nervous about exams, a couple as they stand at the altar or someone that’s struggling to pay their utility bills, anxiety comes in all shapes and sizes.

However, sometimes it can spiral out of control and turn into a bigger mental health problem.

That’s why we joined the Mental Health Foundation and CALM in raising awareness for anxiety during Mental Health Awareness Week (15-21 May).

According to a recent report from the Mental Health Foundation, 86% of young people (aged 18-24) had experienced anxiety in the two weeks prior, with 89% of both single parents and LGBTQ+ people also having anxiety. However, the truth is it can affect anybody – with 73% of the general population feeling anxious during the same period.

How anxiety is caused

Anxiety can be caused by anything that makes us worry or concerned about the future, including things like exams, work, relationships or money.

How to prevent or ease anxiety

There are plenty of ways to deal with anxiety, and they’ll all differ in success for each person.

Some of the simple ones are:

• Concentrate on your breathing and focus on things that make you happy
• Write down the things that make you anxious to keep a record of triggers
• Getting outside and being among nature
• Exercising – this can include anything from a walk to going to the gym
• Eat healthier – a poor diet, consuming caffeine and drinking alcohol may worsen your symptoms of anxiety
• Create a calm environment to promote restful sleep
• Talk to others – speaking about what’s on your mind can help to lessen the load on your shoulders or someone who has been through the same issues may be able to
• Speak to Anxiety UK for support, you can contact them on the phone, via text or chatbot

By speaking about your own experiences with anxiety, past or present, it can help others overcome their own worries. It’ll also increase overall awareness, as we move towards a place where we all feel it’s ok to talk about our mental health. For more tips from the Mental Health Foundation, click here.

What you can do next

For more information or help, you can visit websites such as Anxiety UK, Mind, CALM and Samaritans who each provide support to anyone experiencing mental health problems.

If you’re suffering from anxiety and are experiencing problems with debt, you can speak to us for free – each one of our advisers have been trained to spot the signs of mental health problems and support mental health wellbeing.

Call us on 0800 072 1206. We’re open from 8am – 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am – 3pm on Saturdays. Alternatively, you can visit our www.payplan.com/bfawu to speak to us via live chat or for more information.