Join the #EatMoveCreateSAMH campaign to improve your mental health and physical wellness

Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH) is running free activities for you to join. (PHOTO: Getty Images)
Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH) is running free activities for you to join. (PHOTO: Getty Images)

SINGAPORE – Have you or your family members been feeling not quite right lately? Are you feeling more stressed? Are you feeling unfit or unhealthy? You aren’t alone. So many of us have become more aware of how our important mental health is after dealing with the ups and downs of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Many mental health professionals have noted that more people need support for depression and anxiety, and also tips for helping to deal with family issues and concerns.

According to the Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH), “simple acts such as eating well, moving often and being creative are small practices in one’s daily life that can truly turn a person’s mental state around.”

“As the pandemic draws on, more people are likely to face mental health issues, prompting the government to develop a national strategy. The #EatMoveCreateSAMH campaign addresses this pressing need to build mental resilience by showing that small actions each day can turn a person’s mental outlook around,” reports the organisation. This comes after the Institute Mental Health studies in Singapore “showed that nearly 1 in 10 [people] reported mild to severe stress caused by COVID-19”.

Corresponding with the 10th anniversary of SAMH’s Creative Services, the organisation has launched the #EatMoveCreateSAMH campaign, with the aim of “helping people with mental health issues achieve their fullest potential, build awareness and expression through creativity and raise greater support for mental wellness”. The idea behind the campaign is to help people deal with the vagaries of life during a pandemic by showing how small, simple steps in our daily lives can improve our mental health overall.

In order to help the population record their daily improvements, people are encouraged to take a snap of their day doing something active, creative, or even just enjoying a great meal with their family members, and then upload the image with the hashtag #EatMoveCreateSAMH.

SAMH has also organised a range of public activities where you can “eat, move and create”. The list of various activities can be found at www.samhealth/org.sg/emc.

“Mental health is something my friends and I often talk about and something that I value a lot in my community and workplace. I am excited to be involved in this campaign as I like meeting new people and having shared conversations,” says Charis Koh from MOVE Academy. Ms Koh is conducting the Ergonomics & Mobility workshop, as well as the Kinstretch sessions. “I also enjoy helping people discover and appreciate movement and connecting with one another.”

“Everyone needs a support system and an outlet for expression and creativity, and this campaign is all about that and more,” says Ms Koh.

The Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH) is a non-profit and non-government social service organisation that provides a comprehensive range of mental health services, including rehabilitative, outreach and creative services, to the community in Singapore. For more information, go to www.samhealth.org.sg.