Connections and communities are crucial for our mental health

Why community matters

Studies show that people who are more socially connected to family, friends or their local community are happier, physically healthier and they tend to live longer too. Furthermore, they have fewer mental health problems than people who are less well connected.

This year’s theme for Mental Health Awareness Week (12 – 18 May) is all about communities and how being together is better for your mental health. High Life Highland’s purpose is to make life better by providing affordable access to health and wellbeing, learning and culture for everyone across the length and breadth of the region – providing ‘communities’ of interest and shared experiences.

Alda crafting session

Ways to get involved

There are lots of opportunities to be part of a ‘community’ within High Life Highland from volunteering with Active Schools or within the Botanic Gardens in Inverness, to helping out the High Life Highland Ranger service by volunteering to help with a beach clean or monitoring wildflower meadows.

The charity’s leisure centres are the ideal place to find a ‘community’ whether it’s at a health and wellbeing offering such as Parkinson’s classes or falls prevention – or something more energetic like circuits or zumba. Anyone attending these highlife classes will tell you that the social aspect is every bit as important as the health benefits, helping improve both the physical and mental health of all who become part of these ‘communities’. High Life Highland libraries are a much loved community in themselves and are valuable meeting points for a variety of clubs from chess to crafts.

Community beach clean

Supporting mental health together

There are many different things we can do to support our mental health and being part of something that interests you – being part of a community – can make a big difference.