With #mentalhealthawarenessweek coming to an end and the theme this year being #loneliness. I found myself reflecting on my personal experience of this. Growing up in a community where we all lived on top of each other and you had no time to be alone and feel lonely. Though, I do understand experiences of loneliness can affect us all differently and individually, even when surrounded by people. When I first arrived in #England, I struggled with poor #mentalhealth and unfortunately, as I had not felt this way before, it was a new experience that I did not understand and could not even describe to my GP. This was compounded by the fact that #mentalillness is misunderstood and taboo in my culture, with us not even having a word to describe #depression in my language. Doing my #MHFA First Aid Instructor training has helped me on my journey to appreciate the importance of mental health and understand that we all have it and that its okay not to be okay. I am most thankful to my son's football team as being part of the team has immensely had a huge impact on my loneliness and good mental health. I am one of those dreaded #footballmums who screams through out the game and have on occasions heard other parent asking for ear muffs! Their last game of the season on Saturday was especially amazing as they were down 0-4, within 15 minutes of the game starting. They have a reputation of unravelling when they are losing, but, they kept their cool and managed to score 1 before half time. When the final whistle blew, the match ended at 5-6. What an amazing come back and game! As we were all preparing to leave, it suddenly dawned on me that this might be the last time I see some of the young men, as they are now 17/18 years old with work and other commitments taking over. Especially, as one of their team mates left for work half way through the game. Over the years they have played a very important role in my mental well-being. Making all the early kick offs and getting lost going to new places worth it. This was brought home when #grassroots football was cancelled due to the pandemic. It made me realise how important my son's football games were to me. We both got something out of them. Thank you for my Unsung Hero Trophy which I was presented at the last ceremony. Best thing that has ever happened to me and it will always be cherished. Wishing you all the best in your future endeavors. To everyone, let's enjoy and appreciate these moments our children, nephews, nieces and grandchildren give us, and the role they play in supporting our mental wellbeing! #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthawarenessweek #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthawarenessmonth #loneliness #grassrootsfootball #thankyou #wellbeing
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