A booth which will offer an open and inclusive way of helping Londoners talk about mental health will be set up in Ealing to mark World Mental Health Day.
On Tuesday (October 10), the booth will be positioned outside of Ealing Town Hall between noon and 1.30pm and outside Southall Town Hall between 3pm and 4.30pm.
The "Problem Solving Booth" is aiming to help Londoners have conversations about mental health that they “might not otherwise have the opportunity to have”.
Councillor Hitesh Tailor, Ealing's cabinet member for adults and health, said he hopes people make use of the booth to speak about mental health.
Mental Health in west London
He said: “If you are struggling, or know someone who is, then I would encourage you to visit the ‘Problem Solving Booth’ on World Mental Health Day.”
Mental well-being refers to the positive aspect of mental health and includes positive feelings such as happiness and enjoyment.
It also refers to having good relationships with others, a sense of control and purpose in life, and being able to play a full part in family, friendships, workplace and community.
Ealing Council's five steps to improve mental health
According to Ealing Council , there are five steps and changes which everyone can do to make a significant difference to personal mental health.
• Connect : Connect with the people around you. With family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. At home, work, school or in the local community. Building these connections supports and enriches every day.
• Be Active : Go for a walk or run. Step outside. Cycle. Play a game. Do some gardening. Dance. Exercising makes you feel good. Most importantly, discover a physical activity you enjoy and one that suits your level of mobility and fitness.
• Take Notice : Be curious. Catch sight of the beautiful and remark on the unusual. Notice the changing seasons. Savour the moment, whether you are walking to work, eating lunch or talking to friends. Be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling. Reflecting on your experiences will help you appreciate what matters.
• Keep Learning : Try something new. Rediscover an old interest. Sign up for that course you’ve always talked about. Take on a different responsibility at work. Fix a bike. Learn to play an instrument or how to cook your favourite food. Set a challenge you will enjoy achieving. Learning new things will give confidence as well as being fun.
• Give : Do something nice for a friend, or a stranger. Thank someone. Smile. Volunteer your time. Join a community group. Look out, as well as in. Seeing yourself, and your happiness, linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and creates connections with the people around you.
'I'm not immune to this'
Cllr Tailor added: “There are times when we all find it useful to talk through problems as things happen in our lives.
“I’m not immune to this and have found the five steps to better mental health a valuable guide.
“They are so simple and easy to incorporate into our daily lives and do make a major difference to an individual's overall health.”
Keep up to date with the latest news in west London via the free getwestlondon app.
You can set up your app to see all the latest news and events from your area, plus receive push notifications for breaking news.
Available to download from the App Store or Google Play for Android .
