World mental health day is celebrated annually on 10 October. The day aims to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world.

In October 2023 WCRC’s Psychology Department planned activities and a competition focused on staff health and wellness.
Staff were invited to attend wellness talks focused on 3 topics: ‘Strategies for becoming your best and healthiest self’, ‘How food affects your mood’, and ‘Reassessing your goals and dreams’. The aim was to raise awareness and have people see that we can take small steps to improving our mental health by just committing to a small and manageable action each day.

Staff were divided into teams and invited to create displays, with a chance to win prizes.

Teams were asked to create a display which focused on “Practical ways to improve mental health in daily life”. The creativity and innovation went beyond expectation!

The winning team, Therapy 2, created their display around the idea “make a date with yourself” which highlighted the importance of prioritizing mental health. They showed various simple and practical ways to take a few minutes for self-care.

By: Hannelie Brenton (Assistant Manager Nursing)