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Mental Health Awareness Week: “Action”
By Bella Amfo
Action for Myself
One of the most transformative shifts I have made for my mental health is choosing to speak positively about myself; consistently and intentionally. When someone asks how I am, I no longer default to “I’m fine” or “I'm good thanks." Instead, I respond with “I’m blessed” and I actually mean it and share something that I am genuinely grateful for that day. This is not toxic positivity; it is a science-backed practice rooted in positive psychology, where what we speak over ourselves shapes how we move through the world.
Drawing on my faith and further studies in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology, I have made it a daily discipline to set myself up well before the day begins (whether that is through prayer, mindful intention-setting, gratitude practice, or simply choosing words that speak life rather than drain it.)
I have also committed to moving my body with purpose, taking intentional walks, spending time in nature and committing to fitness goals that I actually honour, which have become non-negotiable anchors. I am deliberate about who I surround and align myself with, which helps me invest in relationships that are genuinely supportive, not just convenient.
Action for Someone Else/Others
Real connection rarely happens in grand gestures. It happens in the ordinary moments and that is where I try to show up. I understand that life can get busy sometimes and rather than the perpetual “we must catch up soon” with friends and loved ones, that doesn't quite seem to materialise; I make a point of doing life with the people I care about. I'll visit a friend who needs support and go to the park with their children for a fun afternoon or show up on a weekend to help carry the load of life or a busy shop with a side of brunch. These small routine acts of presence create the conditions for deeper conversations. The kind that gets beneath the masks we all sometimes wear.
As I'm currently completing my MSc in Coaching Psychology, I offer complimentary coaching sessions to close friends and family. It's genuinely a two-way gift; they receive structured support in pursuing their goals, whilst enhancing their wellbeing and I get to deepen my skills and practice. Coaching has taught me to ask better questions and to hold safe spaces for others rather than simply fix, and that skill has changed how I show up for the people I love.
Action for All
Mental health can't be treated as a personal responsibility alone. It requires structural action and those in power have both the platform and the obligation to lead it.
In order to help build mentally healthy communities, workplaces and schools in the UK, I believe those in power must:
1. Meet basic needs first
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs reminds us that psychological wellbeing is built on a foundation of safety, security and belonging. Therefore, policymakers must prioritise affordable housing, financial security and access to the community; because you can't thrive when you are merely surviving.
2. Build rest into the rhythm of life
Schools, workplaces and communities must stop treating business as a badge of honour and become intentional about taking mandatory rest (through protected lunch breaks, reasonable working hours and dedicated wellbeing time) which should be embedded into policy, not left to individual willpower.
3. Invest in volunteer-led community networks
Some of the most powerful mental health support does not come from clinical settings. It comes from neighbours, mentors and community connectors. Those in power should provide more funding for grassroots volunteer programs and organisations that help create a web of informal support that reaches people before crisis hits.
4. Champion psychological safety in workplaces and schools
Leaders and institutions must create environments where people can speak honestly about how they are doing; without fear of judgement or professional consequences. This means training managers and teachers to a high standard to recognise mental health concerns and provide necessary support tools.
Making mental health education compulsory and age-appropriate in schools will help children and young people grow up with emotional literacy as a core life skill rather than an afterthought. Mental health education should be embedded into school curricula from an early age, which will equip young people to recognise, name and respond to their own emotions and those of others.
5. Reduce the stigma through visible and diverse representation
Those in power, including politicians, executives and public figures, must be willing to speak more openly about their own mental health journeys as representation matters. When people see leaders who look like them being honest about struggle and recovery, it normalises seeking help and dismantles shame.
6. Close the access gap in mental health services
Waiting times for NHS mental health support in the UK remain unacceptably long. Urgent investment is needed to ensure that therapy, counselling, support services and psychiatric care are genuinely accessible; regardless of postcode, income, or background. Early intervention must be funded, not just recommended.
7. Create culturally competent care
Mental health support must reflect the communities it serves. For many people, particularly those from minority ethnic backgrounds; culturally informed care is not a luxury, it is a necessity. Institutions must invest in diverse mental health workforces and culturally sensitive practices, so that no one feels invisible within the systems designed to help them.
8. Embed wellbeing metrics into organisational accountability
Just as companies and organisations report on financial performance, they should be required to measure and report on employee wellbeing. Making mental health a governance issue and not just an HR initiative, which signals that it is taken seriously at the highest levels of leadership.
Bella Amfo
Legal Professional,
Founder-The Eunoia Foundation
https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabella-amfo/