17 May 2018

During Mental Health Awareness Week, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon met a group of students at Dumfries & Galloway College in Dumfries, to discuss how to deal with stress and taking steps to promote mental wellbeing.

The students also shared about their involvement in the Healthy Body Healthy Mind Project partnership initiative between NUS Scotland and Scottish Student Sport, funded by the Scottish Government, which focus on the link between sports, physical activity, smoking prevention and mental health.

We were delighted to welcome @NicolaSturgeon into the College yesterday to talk about the Healthy Body, Healthy Mind initiative that our students have been working on throughout the year – the difference is really starting to shine through and we're proud of the work they've done pic.twitter.com/bT3JuSXA06

— DandGCollege (@DandGCollege) May 17, 2018

The awareness week is focusing this year on stress. By tackling stress, we can all go a long way to addressing mental health issues like anxiety and depression.

The First Minister has shared her own experiences of stress – and the steps she takes to relax and look after her mental wellbeing, including taking time out for reading.

She said:

This week is an opportunity for each of us to reflect on how we react to stress and how we manage it. Taking care of ourselves is the first step – and that includes eating healthily and staying active.

“Individually, it’s important that all of us have ways to unwind and relax. I have spoken often about my love of reading and how I strive to make time for it, even with a busy schedule.

“Even if I am only able to take a short time out to read a few pages, reading provides a break from work that allows me to wind down and to immerse myself in different worlds.”

Some personal thoughts on stress and looking after our mental health #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek https://t.co/fspfYZHgLh

— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) May 13, 2018