What action can we take for better mental health in Mental Health Awareness Week?
by Marion Hewitt | 6 May 2026
What helps your mental health when you do not have much left to give?
For Mental Health Awareness Week 2026 (11-17 May) the theme from the Mental Health Foundation is Action: for yourself, for someone else, for all of us.
The theme recognises that raising awareness is vital but actual change demands action. This is about the action we take personally, in our relationships, at work, within our communities, and in wider systems.
This focus is important as many of us know what supports mental health in theory, and that rest matters, having connection with others is important, and we talk about the importance of movement, sleep, boundaries, fresh air, talking, recovery and support. What is much more challenging is how this actually happens in the middle of real life. Often we make plans about what we will do and assume ideal conditions, separate from the multiple demands real life brings as we try to do them while working, caring, parenting, managing uncertainty, dealing with health issues, responding to messages, juggling responsibilities and carrying all the invisible mental load that often sits beneath the surface.
So as many of you will know from training I have led, when I talk about action, I do not think about dramatic life changes or perfect wellbeing routines. I think about small, practical, realistic actions that work in our world. The things we can still do when our resources are low.
Action For Yourself
Taking action for yourself is not always easy and can be one of first things to slip when life feels full. We tell ourselves we will rest when things calm down, make time for ourselves once the deadline has passed, or ask for help when things get worse.
Action for yourself begins by noticing. Take a few moments in the busyness of life to reflect on how you are really feeling, including the items in your stress container, things taking more energy than usual. Gathering this information gives us the opportunity to act. Ask yourself:
- What do I need right now?
- What is the smallest way I can meet this need?
- How am I going to make this happen?
The answer will vary according to the demands of the day. It might be that you need to get outside for ten minutes, or to stop scrolling and go to bed, or maybe cancel something non-essential. Sometimes it is to make the appointment, ask the question, or admit to yourself that you are not coping as well as you hoped.
Small actions are not small because they are insignificant, they are small because they are possible. A realistic approach to mental health and wellbeing is not about setting additional expectations but taking a more compassionate approach to what we need and what might help.
Action For Someone Else
The second part of this year’s theme is action for someone else, and I think this is equally important.
Taking action for someone else does not mean trying to fix things for them. Often, that is not possible and may not be what they need. More often support begins with being present for someone, with listening in a non-judgemental way, and through small human actions. We might notice when someone is quieter than usual, more irritable, or more emotional, and check in with how they are feeling. The simplest technique is asking twice if initially met with the catch all response of ‘fine’.
This matters in workplaces too. Managers should feel confident to check in with their team and to respond with empathy and without judgement, providing support as appropriate. Managers are not expected to have all the answers and practical support must be realistic and boundaried, however, making the time to listen helps people feel less alone.
Action For All Of Us
The third part of the theme, action for all of us, is also important. There is a risk that wellbeing conversations focus too heavily on what individuals should do differently and puts the onus and responsibility on them. Whilst I believe we do have a responsibility to take ownership of actions that support our mental health, it is also shaped by the environments we live and work in. It is affected by workload, financial security, relationships, discrimination, housing, access to services, community, leadership, psychological safety and whether people feel they have any real control over the pressures they are facing.
So action for all of us must include wider responsibility and whilst most of us are not in positions to enable big changes we can make a difference within our world.
In organisations, that means taking a more proactive approach to enabling wellbeing. It is about more than initiatives but work is designed, how leaders lead, how people relate to each other, and how performance is understood over time.
Choosing The Action That Fits The Moment
This year’s theme for gives us the option for multiple ways to support mental health so it is useful to remember:
- Sometimes the most appropriate action is personal. We need to rest, reflect, seek help, protect our energy or reconnect with what supports us.
- Sometimes the action is relational. We need to notice someone else, reach out, listen or offer practical support.
- Sometimes the action is collective. We need to challenge the conditions that make poor mental health more likely in the first place.
All three matter.
Call To Action
This Mental Health Awareness Week, take a moment to reflect on what action would genuinely support mental health in your own life, in your relationships, or in your organisation.
Ask yourself:
- What is one action I can take for myself?
- What is one action I can take for someone else?
- What is one action we can take together to make our homes, workplaces or communities more supportive of mental health?
#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek2026 #MentalHealth #WorkplaceWellbeing. #SmallActionsMatter
Call 07980 513646 or send us an email marionhewitt@proteasolutions.co.uk