Let’s face it, if there’s ever been a more rollercoaster year for our mental health, it’s been 2020. We’ve been feeling pressures from every side, whether it’s about the lack of uncertainty of our jobs during the pandemic, to the anxiety and loneliness of lockdown and working from home. Even those of us usually able to stay positive when things are tough have felt it. In one way or another, the last few months have affected almost every one of us.
Since this Saturday marks World Mental Health Day, we’ve rounded up some of the most supportive Facebook Groups and Instagram accounts worth a follow when you need some extra solidarity and positivity. Remember, no matter what you’re going through, you’re never alone. There are so many people who want to help you.
Nicola Marsh runs the Never Be Lonely Again Facebook Group, a place for people to come together if they feel they need a friendly chat in times of struggle. Nicola, who was recently awarded the Points of Light award by the Prime Minister, created the group following the death of both her parents and losing friends who took their own lives. It has since become a vital support network for its 4,800-strong network, helping members with no family or friends to hospital appointments, and generously providing food, toiletries and birthday presents to members paying out of their own pockets. Nicola also works with emergency services to help anyone in the group that appears to be at risk and the group has been attributed with saving the lives of some of its members by getting help to them in time.
Holly Cooke set up the The London Lonely Girls Facebook Group in Autumn 2018 to help bring women in the city together to form friendships, seek support and hopefully make London life a little less lonely. With over 1,300 members, the group facilitates meet-ups in real life as well as online, with the community usually getting together twice a month for brunches, activities and day trips. The Group has also become a lifeline for many feeling isolated during the coronavirus crisis, switching to virtual get-togethers including quiz nights, group chats and bingo.
Supporting mums
New mums can feel isolated, but Instagram accounts like @peanut and @makemotherhooddiverse are helping mothers connect with likeminded women, support each other through the ups and downs of childcare and forge new friendships.
Mental Health Mates, founded by writer Bryony Gordon, is a network of peer support groups run by people with mental health issues, who meet regularly to walk, exercise and share without fear or judgement. At the moment, they are doing this in groups of six to comply with social distancing guidelines. You do not have to have a diagnosed mental health issue to join the meet-ups – its ethos is that everyone has mental health and it is a group for everyone.
Ellen is a campaigner, speaker and writer with a focus on LGBTQ+ rights, mental health and disability. She was named Stonewall’s Young Campaigner of the Year in 2017. Her Instagram is full of positive messages, whether it’s being open about her bad days struggling with mental health and autism.
Hannah Daisy is an artist and mental health activist based in London. Her posts are often based around mental health issues, intersectional feminism and queer identity and she started the #boringselfcare movement on Instagram.
Suzanne Alderson started Parenting Mental Health in 2016 when she didn’t have the connections or resources to care for her teenage daughter with acute mental illness. It has become a judgement free and supportive space where parents of young people with mental health issues can gain hope, resources and support. Their membership surged during lockdown and they opened up group video calls every day to coach and support parents in how to protect and help their kids:
A network of almost half a million women across over 55 countries. It was was founded by Anne Scott in 2010 to overcome social isolation when living overseas. Girl Gone International now has 200 local communities worldwide which support, connect and empower over 500,000 women living outside their country of birth through 5,000 on- and offline events per year.
A not-for-profit community organisation that aims to provide an educational and experiential place for people to come and discover more about the essence of long-lasting happiness. They have been providing people with tools to stay well throughout the current climate, offering daily posts featuring motivational mantras and guided meditation and Facebook live events on subjects such as ‘Self-care & Wellbeing’.
This group was established eight years ago as a place providing online and offline meet-ups for women looking to overcome challenges. HoneyWoods provide a range of events- from family camping weekends, retreats and craft days, to forest schools and foraging, and the group is a place for members to stay in touch and form lasting friendships and support networks.
The Yes Tribe is a community in which members come together to ‘say yes more’. The Facebook Group is a place where ‘strangers and just friends waiting to happen’ and is built around sharing friendship, support, and positive energy to empower one another.
This weekend Facebook are also launching Emotional Health, a centralised resource centre containing tips from mental health partner organisations from around the world. Charities Shout (@giveusashoutinsta) and Samaritans (@samaritanscharity) are also launching Instagram guides to connect people to reliable and positive content to support their wellbeing. To view a Guide, just click on their Instagram profiles or go to the Explore tab.