The footballers of Galway and Mayo may have been preoccupied with the Connacht semi-final at the weekend – but they found time do their bit to help promote positive mental health.
They have endorsed #Littlethings, the national mental health and wellbeing campaign spearheaded by the HSE’s National Office for Suicide Prevention and a coalition of over 25 partner organisations.
The #littlethings campaign highlights that we all experience difficult times in our lives, and that when we do; there are some evidence-based little things that can make a big difference to how we feel. These little things can help us to cope, but there are also supports and services we can use if we need to.
For the month of June, the campaign is focusing on the wellness tip, “The More You Move the Better Your Mood”, emphasising that being physically active every day, something as simple as a walk, is proven to have a positive impact on your mood.
And Galway will be helping to fly the #littlethings flag with two local initiatives taking place ths Sunday that coincide with the Connacht semi-final at Pearse Stadium. The first is an organised walk on Salthill promenade at 1.30pm from Claddagh Hall to the Promenade Wall.
The second is a promotional campaign sharing the campaign’s messages prior to and during the big match at 4pm.
The campaign is being run in conjunction with the HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention, Galway Sports Partnership, Galway GAA and Mayo GAA whose partnership in the #littlethings campaign is greatly welcomed.
“The #littlethings campaign helps to highlight the importance of protecting our mental health,” explained Catherine Cunningham, Area Manager, Galway Roscommon, PCCC Services.
“We fully support this effort to help promote positive mental health and reduce death by suicide,” she added.
And Ciaran Lynch, Clinical Nurse Manager, Galway and Roscommon Mental Health Services, said he would love to see as many people as possible support the campaign by walking on the Salthill promenade at 1.30pm.
“The relatively short walk will highlight the positive effects of exercise on one’s mental health. We will have teams of volunteers handing out stickers and information on the campaign and we will be encouraging as many people as possible to walk,” he said.
The post Footballers get behind mental health initiative appeared first on Connacht Tribune - Galway City Tribune.