Mental Health Awareness Week 2021

Welcome to Mental Health Awareness Week 2021!

After being stuck inside for over a year, the Mental Health Foundation has decided to spend Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 outside and in nature, something our sensory experts are particularly excited about.

We’ve written before about the deep-rooted connection between nature and sensory. We’ve also written about the mood-boosting properties of our senses; when you put the two together, you get quite a practical potion for supporting your senses and your wellbeing.

To get you thinking about nature, your senses and your mood, our sensory team have put together a handy ‘Five Senses Focus’ activity sheet for you to get stuck into (which you can download right here). Tick the boxes as you explore your senses and fill in the blanks with your own sensory inspiration – why don’t you let us know which sense you enjoyed exploring the most by sharing your checklist with us on social media?

We hope that you have an honestly optimistic week talking about, sharing and supporting your mental health.

Warm Regards,

Team Rhino.

Mood-Boosting Sensory Resources

• Colour Changing Aroma Diffuser: Part diffuser, part mood lamp, part speaker – create an instantly relaxing multisensory environment filled with soft light, music and smells with our Colour Changing Aroma Diffuser.
• Precious Petzz Cat: Adopt a lifelike friend who is soft and cuddly and great for calming, comforting, and reassuring.
• Cuddle Ball: Instead of wrapping your mind up in your problems, why don’t you wrap your arms in and around this comforting and cosy Cuddle Ball? Feel your stress and anxiety disappear, and find yourself falling into warm relaxation.
• Emotion Dominoes: This simple game allows children and adults verbalise how they’re feeling, as well as comparing how their feelings differ from those of their friends, encouraging discussion about emotions without judgement.
• MohDoh Sleep Pack: Tactile, sweet-smelling and great for relaxing moments of sensory thought.