Even small actions can help us feel hopeful and less powerless.
— Mental Health Foundation
Organised by the Mental Health Foundation, Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW) is an annual campaign to highlight the importance of good mental health. MHAW 2026 runs from May 11–17, inclusive. Previous themes have included body image, kindness, nature, loneliness, anxiety, movement, and community. The theme for MHAW 2026 is action.
Action: for yourself, for someone else, for all of us
We’ve chosen Action as this year’s theme because, while awareness is vital, real change comes when we take action too. Together, we’ve come a long way on mental health, but we can’t risk going backwards. There’s still much we can do to prevent people becoming unwell in the first place.
We can interpret the call to action in many ways. Inspired by a recent conversation the action I’ve chosen to focus on is encouragement. That might not seem particularly relevant or useful given the challenges we face in the modern world and the paucity of mental health support, resources, and funding. What can any of us do to make a difference? Bold action is needed at all levels but it would be a mistake to downplay the significance of small changes. I explored this last year in Making a Difference In the World One Starfish at a Time.
There are times when the problems and challenges that surround us feel too many or too huge to attempt. What difference can we possibly make? The antidote to overwhelm is to focus in close and small. No matter how powerless or helpless we may feel, there is something we can do to make a difference. We may not be able to save every starfish but we can save this one. And this one. And maybe that one.
Encouragement is the perfect example of achievable action.
What Encouragement Isn’t
When I began writing this blog post I thought back over the past few years for examples to include. I jotted down several before realising they weren’t encouragements at all but compliments or thank yous.
Thank you. You truly are someone I can rely on in an emergency and at all other times.
You are so brave. You are so good at this. You were afraid and unsure yet you pushed through and are now being vulnerable with what you were afraid of. I’m so proud of you!
You were wondering where you are in the mental health community ... you are a writer, and an adamant and steadfast supporter.
You’re good at supporting without being a prat.
I remember the circumstances behind each of those. I was moved at the time and remain grateful for both the people and the words. Praise and gratitude nourish the ego and reassure us we’re doing something right. They can be just the boost we need, especially if we’re doubting ourselves or struggling in some way. But they are vectored from the outside in. They express what someone else thinks and feels about us. That’s valuable but it’s not encouragement.
What Encouragement Is
Encouragements neither flatter nor praise. Instead, they quietly remind us who we are and what we’re capable of achieving. Not “You’re awesome!” but “You are enough.” I explored this last year in a post on how to be there for a friend.
Encouragement goes hand in hand with accountability. You’re not responsible for someone else taking the steps necessary to become and stay as well as possible. However, you can make a huge difference by making it clear you’re on their team — and not just when they’re winning. Encouragement is more than offering a flippant “You can do it!” or admonishing them to “snap out of it” or go for a walk.
Meaningful encouragement acknowledges what your friend or loved one is dealing with, including any restrictions there might be on what they can achieve at that moment. A good friend of mine occasionally requests a pep talk. I remind her of the many things she’s accomplished, and help bring her focus to whatever task or situation she’s having difficulty with. That might seem a small thing to do, but it helps. Sometimes it’s small things that are most needed.
The conversation that inspired this blog post is a great example. I was talking with a friend at work. (Hi, Sophie!) She told me how good it felt to be back at the gym after a period when she hadn’t felt up to it. I’ve never been to a gym in my life and told her so. My attitude to exercise is neatly expressed by this sketch by UK stand-up comedian James Ellis.
Did you know, right? There are people ... that go to the gym ... Mad, innit?
Sophie didn’t bat an eye. “You walk, though,” she said. It was exactly what I needed to hear. She knows about my lunchtime walks from the photos I post on social media. My forty-five minute strolls don’t do much for my physical fitness. It’s not like going to the gym several times a week. My walks are good for me, nonetheless, as I’ve explored previously. They provide a break from the screen. From work. A little fresh air and me-time. You walk, though. I felt seen. Encouraged in what I do rather than lacking in some way because of what I don’t. Sometimes I need startling out of my malaise. I described one such occasion in an open letter to Fran for World Bipolar Day 2025.
You’re there for me every bit as much as I’m there for you! I may not have a mental health diagnosis but I have my dark times, my doubts, my insecurities, as much as anyone else. At such times, you remind me who I am and what I have to offer. As you told me once when I was doubting myself, “You wrote a book. A whole fucking book. Don’t you give yourself credit for that?”
It was just the jolt I needed. On another occasion Fran reassured me, “You’re just fucked up, like the rest of us.” That’s a reminder I cherish and find oddly encouraging. Other examples come to mind. There was a time when I felt utterly unable to offer meaningful support to someone I knew was struggling. My friend Louise reminded me that not all the team is on the field at all times. “Keep in mind that your friend is going through her stuff,” she said. “You’re still on her team, just not playing right now.” Her gentle encouragement helped me navigate a difficult and confusing phase in that particular friendship and informed my concept of supportive disengagement. How to Be There for Your Friend When They Need Space is one of the most viewed blog posts here at Gum on My Shoe, suggesting that it’s something that resonates with a lot of people.
Encouragement helps keep us going when things feel particularly rough, overwhelming, or confusing. It doesn’t fix the issues. It doesn’t provide solutions. It reminds us that we’ve been through tough times before and there’s another step to take when we’re ready to take it.
A Call to Action and Gratitude
Mental Health Awareness Week’s call to action reminds me that the things I do and say matter. They make a difference. I make a difference. This MHAW I’ll pay particular attention to those I know who might appreciate a little encouragement and support. It’s also an opportunity to acknowledge the times when an encouraging word or gesture has made a difference in my life.
Over to You
I’ve described a little of what encouragement means to me and why I feel it’s important. You can probably think of examples of your own. What words of encouragement have meant a lot to you? What encouragement do you offer friends and loved ones when they’re struggling? Are there forms of encouragement you find unhelpful? We’d love to hear from you, either in the comments below or via our contact page.
Photo by Ioann-Mark Kuznietsov at Unsplash.
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