It is that time of year again whereby I take up a challenge to push myself beyond my limits with the aim of raising money and awareness for a cause which I believe provides paramount service to all our lives, whether directly or indirectly.

Last year, I trained to run a half-marathon sub 2. This year, I have decided to challenge myself further. I will be cycling with my fellow SAS colleagues from London to Amsterdam in just four days!

The training has been brutal at times but unquestionably worth it knowing that the money being raised is all going to such a worthy cause; Mental Health UK.

Only in recent years has mental health become less of a taboo topic, but there is still a very long way to go. The stigma attached to the term ‘mental health’ tragically only makes the situation of those suffering from mental health problems worse.

As a society, we all have a responsibility to help stop the stigmatisation of people suffering from mental health problems so that the right help can be provided for those who sadly suffer in silence.

It is important to remember that mental health problems can vary in severity, and probably affects more people we know than we may realise. It can range from schizophrenia to depression, which mentalhealth.org.uk defines as causing ‘people to experience depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy, and poor concentration’.

Many of us may be fortunate enough to have the support of friends and family to talk to about our day with or any worries we have. Whilst we may not realise it, these are the conversations which may prevent us from ever reaching a point of poor mental health. However, not everyone is lucky enough to have such a privilege. That is why the services which Mental Health UK offer are so important – it all starts with a conversation.

Mental Health UK run support groups which reduce isolation, offer Money Advice to help people improve their financial situation, and provide information digitally to help reach as many people as possible and reduce myths surrounding mental health.

In 2014, 19.7% of people in the UK aged 16 and over showed symptoms of anxiety or depression – a 1.5% increase from 2013, according to mentalhealth.org.uk. However, each of us has the power to reduce this figure, so let us make a difference, starting now!

Please donate however much you can afford to, it all adds up and even the smallest of donations can make the biggest of difference.

Wish me luck!

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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