Good mental health is as important as physical health. When we don’t look after our mental health, it can impact other areas of our life, including school, work, relationships and sleep. So poor mental health and wellbeing can become a barrier to success.

As a social mobility charity, the programmes we deliver to help young people develop life and enterprise skills involve techniques that are scientifically proven to be beneficial to mental health and wellbeing – movement, creative outlets, communicating with others, time spent in nature and disconnecting from technology.

Our four core programme areas

Exploring enterprise & entrepreneurship

Through business challenges, young people can harness their problem solving and creativity skills, getting lost in their imaginations to come up with innovative ideas to tackle some of the world’s biggest problems.

Developing skills through sport

Through cricket, young people are able to develop confidence, resilience and find a community within their team.  

Discovering creative arts pathways

Through the Aldridge Junior Signature Art Prize, our annual art competition, and artist led workshops, students are able to dedicate time to creating a piece of art which often powerfully expresses a part of themselves, or something they feel strongly about.

Building confidence through coaching and expeditions

Through supportive coaching sessions and expeditions, young people are able to communicate freely, build strong relationships with students from different areas of the country and find peace in the stillness of nature. They overcome fears and find out what they are truly capable of, returning to school with new skills, a positive mindset and ready to take on any challenges that come their way.

On Mental Health Awareness Day, we’re sharing some of the ways the Aldridge Foundation team look after their mental health:

  • Get some rest – swap late nights and Netflix for an early night and a good book.
  • Spend time in nature without headphones – be present and notice the sounds you can hear.
  • Create something – paint, draw, write just for fun, with no expectations.
  • Go back to basics – make sure you’re eating nutritious food, drinking lots of water and getting a good night’s sleep.
  • Move – take up a sport, dance, go to the gym – anything that gets you out of your head and into your body.
  • Disconnect to reconnect – see if you can allocate time each week to have phone-free time and catch up with friends or family instead.

All of these seem simple right? Well, sometimes the most effective things are – we just need to make sure we remember to prioritise them.

We’d love to know how you look after your mental health and wellbeing, so head over to our Instagram page and add your thoughts under our latest post.

If you’re struggling with your mental health and wellbeing, please reach out to someone you trust. You can also find inspiring stories of hope and support on our partner, FROG’s, Champion Cinema.