The annual European Mental Health Awareness Week, established 21 years ago, runs from 9th to 15th May this year (in North America it runs from 2nd to 8th October).
The theme this year is ‘loneliness’.
We feature two superb spiritual resources on our website of the week:
The Jesuits in Britain, creators of the wonderful Pray as you Go website, have devised seven mental health audio exercises designed to encourage, in God’s presence, prayerful awareness of any feelings of unease or distress. These short exercises last no more than eight minutes. They address addiction, aging, anxiety, depression, grief, insomnia and loneliness. It is hoped that they will be helpful for anyone using these sessions who might be struggling at the moment.
The Church of England offers 13 audio reflections based on scripture, each about five minutes long. Topics include living in isolation, loneliness, God’s presence in our struggles, how we are feeling, spending time well, switching focus, listening to our thoughts, the divided self, forgiveness and love.
To access these sites, and other links to mental health resources, visit: www.newpilgrimpath.ie.