Mental Health Awareness Week

Today is the start of Mental Health Awareness Week, an opportunity for the whole of the UK to focus on achieving good mental health. Started 21 years ago by The Mental Health Foundation, its grown to become one of the biggest awareness weeks across the UK and globally.

At Carnival UK we’re focused on good mental health year round, with our Mental Health First Aiders and Champions supporting colleagues to have a good day at CUK. Mental Health First Aiders and Champions are all colleagues who’ve volunteered their time to take on the role of listening and signposting people to support when they need it. Find out more here.

Throughout the week we’re profiling some of our amazing volunteers. Today, meet Keeley Davies, Mental Health First Aider.

Why did you want to become a Mental Health First Aider?

The pandemic, lockdown and isolation from friends and family has understandably affected everyone’s mental health to lesser or greater degrees. We are all much more aware how fragile it can be and how we benefit from the support of those around us. I wanted to have the confidence and knowledge to better support friends, colleagues, or family in their hour of need. Plus, we all need to engage more positively and openly about the struggles, successes and observations we all experience with our day-to-day mental health. This was an ideal opportunity to do that. Plus, as a Care Team member, I hoped it would also benefit the skills used when helping people on deployments.

Why do you feel it’s important for people to look after their own wellbeing and mental health?

With more awareness and less stigma associated with the management of your mental health, people would be able to more quickly recognise the signs and symptoms of any potential mental health issues. If you can recognise the signs, you can get help and reduce the impact not only on your life, but of those around you. If you take small steps every day to recognise and try and improve your mental health, your entire outlook and quality of life improves.

How do you look after your own wellbeing and mental health to make sure you have a good day at CUK?

I check in with myself every day and assess how I feel – I have learned to recognise days that need more manual intervention! Some days I am aware I need to do more of the things I love in order to boost my serotonin levels to try and reduce any feelings of anxiety or improve my mood. Other days, my wellbeing takes care of itself without the need for any intervention. 

How does your role as a Mental Health First Aider support and empower colleagues to have a good day at CUK?

The role enables you to engage in conversations you wouldn’t perhaps have felt comfortable doing so before and colleagues know you have their best interests at heart – the questions come from a genuine place.

How can we help each other to have a good day at CUK?

• #asktwice to make sure our colleagues are OK.
• Be flexible and be aware that people have other things going on in their lives outside of work.
• Try and make people laugh.
• Be kind – always
• Buy someone a coffee or pay a coffee forwards.

Any top tips for good mental health?

• Have a plan – if you do feel low, out of sorts or are struggling with your mental health, make a plan of what you could do – just in case you ever need it.
• Get lots of sleep
• Enjoy plenty of fresh air or exercise
• Do things you love
• Live in the present
• Have a laugh
• Spend time with people
• Be creative

If you’d like to talk to Keeley, contact her at keeley.davies@princesscruises.co.uk

Interested in being a Mental Health First Aider? 

A Mental Health First Aider is someone who’s completed an accredited MHFA England course and is equipped with skills to lead mental health colleague conversations, alongside raising awareness, reducing stigma and discrimination, and engaging our people in positive mental wellbeing so we can all have a good day at Carnival UK. 

We also have Mental Health Champions who have completed a Carnival UK Mental Health Awareness course and are equally committed to raising awareness, reducing stigma and discrimination, and engaging our people in positive mental wellbeing. They’re also able to help colleagues by connecting them to additional mental health support.

If you’re interested in supporting colleagues, email OHS@carnivalukgroup.com to find out more.