The public were asked yesterday to “be kind” to friends, colleagues and even themselves as part of a campaign designed to boost mental health.

The Bermuda Hospitals Board, through the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute, will mark Mental Health Awareness Week from Sunday. Kindness will be the theme of the campaign and MWI will highlight its connection to good mental health.

A BHB spokeswoman said: “While we all know that when someone is kind to us it makes us feel good, research now shows that it is more far-reaching than most of us may have considered — it actually has a positive impact on mental health.

“In April 2020, an online survey conducted by the Mental Health Foundation in the UK saw 63 per cent of the 4,246 surveyed agree that when other people are kind, it had a positive impact on their mental health.”

Chantelle Simmons, the BHB’s Chief of Psychiatry, said: “Studies indicate that kindness is associated with increased happiness, wellbeing and life satisfaction. There are multiple opportunities for kindness as we go about our day.

“A compassionate word to a colleague, an encouraging text message to a friend or a video chat to check in with a neighbour are all good examples.

“Such acts of kindness may be one of the ways we create and maintain our social connections which is a key contributor to overall wellbeing.

“It is also important to be kind to ourselves. This may include self-care, meditation, or giving ourselves the opportunity to rest and recharge.”

Mental Health Awareness Week will run from October 4 to 12.

Shanay Scott, the campaign’s chairwoman, said: “We are calling it Acts of Kindness Week and are encouraging everyone in the community to commit to doing acts of kindness.

“It may be to friends, relatives, work colleagues, complete strangers and, no less importantly, to themselves.

“Then, in a show of support for good mental health, we would like all those who did so, to wear green on Friday, October 9 — our Be Kind BDA Grub Day. Additionally we are inviting everyone to take photos and post to social media #bekindbda.”

Thoughts about kindness in the form of essays, poems and art can be e-mailed to bekindbda@bhb.bm.

The Acts of Kindness Week will include a Keep Bermuda Beautiful committee clean-up on October 11.

Anyone taking part should practise physical distancing and carry out clean-ups in small groups. People without a group can join MWI at 9am on Devon Spring Road in Devonshire.

A proclamation on Mental Health will be read at City Hall at 12.30pm on October 12.

• For more information, visit www.bermudahospitals.bm or e-mail bekindbda@bhb.bm

• To view the events calendar, click on the PDF link under “Related Media”