Mental Health Awareness Week: Lego & Nature
What is Mental Health Awareness Week?
This week it is Mental Health Awareness Week, hosted by The Mental Health Foundation for the whole of the UK to focus on achieving good mental health.
It is about starting conversations about mental health, how mental health issues affect 1 in 4 people, and how our daily lives can be affected.
Each year The Mental Health Foundation choose a different theme to focus on, and this year it is Nature, and how nature can improve our mental health
LEGO and Nature
So it got me thinking about how LEGO can be incorporated into the theme of nature, so here are a few ideas
6 Bricks
Next time you going for a walk in nature, bring along six 2x4 bricks and you can build with them while walking. Of course you always need to keep an eye on where you are walking, but it can be relaxing just to feel those bricks in your hand. You can stop and rest and see how many of the 900 million combinations there are.
Lego Minifigures
Going for a walk in the woods or countryside, bring along a LEGO minifigure for the journey. Sometimes I find just holding a LEGO minifigure can help with anxiety
One of my favourites things to do on my walks is take photographs of the figures.
LEGO Building
When you think of LEGO building you normally think of building inside on a table. When the weather is nice why not build outside. Brighton Bricks used to hold regular events at the Pavilions Gardens Cafe in Brighton, and it was so enjoyable building outside. You could also build in your garden or a local park. A tip I would give is bring a tray and maybe some plastic containers you can put your LEGO parts in.
MOCs
Why not let nature be an inspiration when you are creating your own MOCs. Use your time in nature as research, maybe you will build a bird you spotted, or some wild flowers you saw in the woods. Or maybe you recreate your local beach, or the rainbow you saw in the sky. Or use inspiration from nature to build landscapes from your imagination.
Community Builds
I did work with some local schools in Brighton, where the children build LEGO models which were displayed in planters outside local shops. It became something for the children to be proud of, and to take care of.
What Will You Do?
What ideas do you have? It be great to see what you come up with. You can either email me at nick@brightgreenpenguin.com or tag me on social media. I am @BrightonBricks on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Mental Health Help
If you feel your mental health is suffering at the moment and you not sure what to do, here are a few resources to check out
A-Z of Mental Health advice from The Mental Health Foundation
Practical advice from The Mental Health Foundation
Support Helplines from Mind
Find Help Now from Grassroots, suicide prevention charity
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.