February - mental health

If your physical health is how well your body is working, then mental health is how well your mind and emotions are working. They both affect each other in lots of different ways. It is very difficult to have good mental health without also having good physical health, and vice versa.

Mental health is a combination of your social, psychological, and emotional wellbeing. Mental health is relevant to people of all ages in all areas of life.

The downsides of poor mental health can be huge. It can lower your quality of life, increase the chance of long-term illnesses, and even contribute to self-harm or suicide.

However, if your mental health is in good working order, it puts you in a good position to be able to learn and grow. It allows you to face stress or challenges better. It makes it easier to maintain your physical health, and to maximise your potential.

The NHS and the mental health charity Mind both support this step-by-step guide to improving your own mental health (created by The  New Economics Foundation). These steps are:

Step 1 – Connect

Whether you're looking to feel more a part of a team at work or in sports, want to learn a new skill, or just to chat, there are many ways to connect with people.

Step 2 – Get active

Being active is essential for physical health, but it's also a great way of improving your mental health. Something as small as taking the stairs, going for a walk at lunchtime, or getting off the bus one stop early to walk home can all have huge benefits for your mental wellbeing. It doesn't have to be sports or big workouts!

Step 3 – Take notice

Remind yourself to be aware of your own feelings and what might cause them. This can help you to understand yourself better. It will help you identify situations which might cause you difficulty but will also help you remember to "stop and smell the roses" from time to time.

Step 4 – Learn

Learning new things is not only good for your mental wellbeing, but it can also have knock-on effects for your life too. Learn a new skill? It could lead to new opportunities. Learn more about your colleagues? It could lead to new friends!

Step 5 – Give

It might seem strange, but often one of the most effective ways of improving your own mental health is to help someone else. Whether that's something as simple as making a cup of tea, or offering advice, you'll feel better if you help someone else feel better too.

Find helpful information and tips about these steps: mind.org.uk

Harrow Council run and support several programmes that could help your mental health. These include Good Thinking, Conversation Café, NHS Talking Therapies and counselling services, Harrow Horizons, Harrow Cove, Mind in Harrow and a Perinatal Mental Health team.

You can find out more information about these options in the drop-down boxes below

Good Thinking is a digital service that helps people look after their mental health and wellbeing in a way that works for them. You can get advice, support and resources to help you with stress, anxiety, low mood, sleep and other mental health concerns like trauma, bereavement and eating disorders.

It is free of charge, NHS-approved, completely anonymous and available 24/7 on any advice. For more information visit their website and watch the video below:

Conversation Café is a welcoming and safe drop-in session. It is an opportunity for Harrow residents to meet face-to-face with friendly staff from the London Borough of Harrow and community partners. All Harrow residents are welcome to come along for a chat. We especially encourage people who feel vulnerable, as well as those living with a disability or who are unpaid carers.

We usually hold the Conversation Café every Tuesday between 10am and 2pm at St Peter's Church, Sumner Road, West Harrow HA1 4BX.

You can find more information about the Conversation Café here.

NHS talking therapies services are for people in England aged 18 or over. You can speak to your GP about talking therapies or get in touch with the talking therapies service directly without going to your GP. Talking therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), counselling, other therapies and guided self-help are available for common mental health problems, like anxiety and depression

You can find more information about NHS Talking Therapies here.

Harrow Horizons  work with children and young people aged 0 to 18, or up to 25 for people with a special educational need or disability, alongside their families. Harrow Horizons provide counselling, information, advice and guidance on recovering and rebuilding family relationships and emotional and wellbeing support for children and young people.

Referrals are accepted from young people themselves, parents/carers and professionals. 

• Leaflet : Harrow Horizons
• Tel: 0300 030 2313
• Email: harrowhorizons@annafreud.org

Harrow Cove is a place where people can go if they are having a mental health crisis. You can simply turn up, no appointment is needed. They provide 1-to-1 support in a safe and welcoming space, as well as group activities.

You can find more information on their website: www.hestia.org/harrow-cove

Mind in Harrow offer many different services that could help your mental health. These include their Harrow User Group (HUG), a place where local people can connect and share experiences, Stepping Stones which provides community classes like walking and Pilates, and many more.

You can find more information on their website: www.mindinharrow.org.uk

The Brent and Harrow Perinatal Mental Health team supports women and birthing people with their mental and emotional wellbeing during pregnancy and up to two years after having a baby. This specialist care is available wherever suits you best. This may be close to the maternity unit of your choice, your home or in Family Hubs.

You can access this service even if you choose to deliver your baby at a different hospital from Northwick Park, as long as you are a resident or you are registered with a GP in Brent or Harrow. If you aren’t based in these areas we also offer support across other London boroughs. The team works in partnership with other services such as maternity, midwifery, health visitors and GPs, 

You can find more information on their website: www.cnwl.nhs.uk.

These are some important Mental Health awareness dates for 2025:

World Mental Health Day – 10th October 2025. This annual event brings together organisations and communities to raise awareness of how we can create a world with better mental health and where fewer people die by suicide

Mental Health Awareness Week – 12-18th May 2025