Walk in My Shoes and boost your wellbeing

By Geraldine Fitzgerald

Walk in My Shoes, the awareness raising campaign of St Patrick’s Mental Health Services, offers an interactive online programme of wellbeing events, workshops and curated content and is now available online.

Launched last week as society prepares to adapt to the lifting of all Covid-19 restrictions next month, the Walk in My Shoes (WIMS) campaign will be shared over the course of four weeks, to encourage everyone to make their mental health a priority and focus on their wellbeing. WIMS Live 2021 will see some of Ireland’s top mental health experts, wellbeing ambassadors and special guests, including the nation’s favourite artist Don Conroy; RTÉ’s Blathnaid Treacy; and social media influencer and mental health advocate Grace Mongey, join the programme to explore a range of mental health and lifestyle topics over 4 themed weeks and across a variety of channels, from live webinars and online wellbeing workshops to podcasts and social media takeovers.

Each themed week focuses on a number of mental health topics and targets a wide range of audiences:

· Week one (27 September–3 October) is all about your wellbeing and the line-up includes a webinar exploring the mental health impacts of climate change, a journaling wellbeing workshop, and an Instagram takeover with Blathnaid Treacy

· Week two (4–10 October) focuses on wellbeing in the classroom and supporting teachers and students to look after their mental health, with workshops on self-compassion, a webinar on self-harm awareness and a very special wellbeing walking event to mark World Mental Health Day on 10 October

· Week three (11–17 October) explores the theme of family wellbeing and how to build a family support system, as well as a workshop by artist Don Conroy that will hone in on the benefits of art for mental health

· Week four (18–24 October) sees wellbeing in the community take centre stage, with events and activities looking at how mental health stigma can be reduced at a community level.

Paul Gilligan, CEO, St Patrick’s Mental Health Services, said: “While the complete easing of Covid-19 restrictions has been long-awaited and eagerly anticipated for many, it may also bring with it a fresh anxiety of once again adjusting to a new way of living.

“The launch of the WIMS Live programme is an opportunity to make our mental health a priority, to reflect on all the skills we’ve learned to protect and nurture our wellbeing over the past 18 months, and to connect with our inner resilience so that our mental health is protected as we move forward in this new recovery phase of the pandemic.”