“If I’m honest I can’t remember a time when I didn’t use a walk to help with my mental health, not that in the 80’s or 90’s I would have thought of it as mental health.
“But I just knew walking helped me figure out what was going on in my life, or in my head, or whatever it was that was my biggest problem of the day.”
Those are the reflections of Durham County Council’s Sean Barry as the local authority backs a national campaign encouraging people to get out and about to improve their mental health.
Sean has spoken of how walking has helped him to mark Mental Health Awareness Week, which runs from yesterday, Monday 13 to Sunday 19 May, and which has as its theme ‘Movement: Moving more for our mental health’.
The council has also marked Mental Health Awareness Week today by signing the MIND Mental Health at Work Commitment, in recognition of the importance of employees’ wellbeing, and by offering residents free three-day passes to its leisure centres to help people get moving.
Continuing his story, Sean, who works in the council’s public health team, said: “And I’m not talking about serious walking either, with all the kit up and down hills. I’m talking about walking wherever I was that day, at home or work. A half hour or so is usually enough to take a step forward in my head, move things on a little.
“What walking always gives me is ‘time’, time to consider things, time to enjoy someone’s company, time to enjoy my surroundings.
“Obviously, the older I get the more I realise that moving also benefits my physical health as much as my mental health and so I’ll do a little faster walk to increase my heart rate and get the blood pumping. Two birds with one stone, if anyone remembers that saying.
“I try to do at least a couple of walks a week during my lunch. Once you get into the habit it’s easy to incorporate into your day, and I always return to my desk far more ready for the afternoon tasks.
“More often than not someone will join me and if not, that’s okay too.
“My top tip would be to suggest a walk while you do an informal supervision or catch up, it really changes the dynamic of the conversation.”
The MIND Mental Health at Work Commitment, signed at this morning’s Health and Wellbeing Board, provides an effective, simple framework for employers to prevent poor mental health and recognise the importance of promoting staff wellbeing.
The framework sets out six clear standards based on what best practice has shown is needed to make a difference and better equip employers to create an environment where employees can thrive.
Meanwhile, to mark Mental Health Awareness Week, the council is offering free three-day passes for all its leisure centres. These allow members of the public use of the centres’ gyms, pools and fitness classes. Residents can find out more by asking at their local leisure centre.