At Kinetic, we’re passionate about the well-being of our communities: residents, teams and partners alike.
That’s why we’re proud to share this piece from our partner, Garrett Learning (Wendy Garrett – Garrett Learning), ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week 2026.
Mental Health Awareness Week runs from 11 to 17 May 2026, and this year’s theme couldn’t be more fitting: ‘Time for Action’.
Not perfection. Not an overnight transformation. Just small, intentional actions taken consistently that create lasting change.
Here’s how Garrett Learning are encouraging us all to step up this year.
Start With Yourself
There’s a reason airlines tell you to fit your own oxygen mask before helping others. It’s because you can’t pour from an empty cup.
So, before anything else, ask yourself:
- How do you look after yourself right now?
- What’s missing from your life or routine?
- What’s one small thing you could introduce this week?
Self-care looks different for everyone, and it doesn’t have to be complicated. It might be a 10-minute walk, listening to a meditation on a free app like Insight Timer, eating lunch somewhere different for a change of scenery, or simply putting your phone down before bed and picking up a book instead.
What’s your one thing this week?
Then Look Around You
Small actions have a ripple effect, and that ripple starts with you.
Check in with a resident or colleague. Send a message to a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while. Smile at someone as you pass them in the corridor and notice what happens.
These might feel like tiny gestures, but they matter more than you know.
Garrett Learning also recommend Action for Happiness (actionforhappiness.org), who share monthly calendars packed with simple daily actions to help us stay more mindful, connected and intentional both for ourselves and for others.
Build Something Bigger
Individual actions are powerful, but collective action is transformative.
In workplaces, taking ‘Time for Action’ means creating a culture where people feel comfortable speaking up, checking in and supporting each other. It means equipping people managers with the confidence and skills to have real, human conversations. And it means moving from reactive support to proactive wellbeing.
Garrett Learning have seen first-hand what’s possible when organisations commit to this. By bringing together people from across departments: housekeeping, reception, maintenance, marketing, HR and senior leadership, they’ve helped teams:
- Launch wellbeing surveys to understand real needs
- Introduce Mental Health First Aider training
- Redesign 1:1 meetings to be more open and impactful
- Build psychologically safe environments where people genuinely thrive
What made the difference wasn’t just the initiatives, but the quality of conversations happening at every level of the organisation.
From Awareness to Action: What’s Next?
If you’re ready to take the next step, Garrett Learning can help your organisation through:
- People management training and 1:1 coaching
- Workplace mental health and wellbeing programmes, including Mental Health First Aid
- Monthly Wellbeing Champion check-in sessions (complimentary)
- Bespoke training tailored to your organisation
Book an informal chat: scheduler.zoom.us/garrettlearning/1-1-cuppa-and-chat
Or email: wendy@garrettlearning.co.uk
If you’re an MHFAider, a well-being ambassador, in HR or a People Manager, you’re also welcome to join their free monthly online support sessions.
Find out more at garrettlearning.co.uk
To learn more about Mental Health Awareness Week 2026 and the ‘Time for Action’ theme, visit the Mental Health Foundation.
