In today’s society it is increasingly common for people to feel alone and as if they have no one to talk to. As a result, this absence of connection paired with the occurrence of devastating life events is causing more and more people to experience some form of depression, leading to health problems, addiction and even suicide. These feelings are only exacerbated by the current social restrictions, causing people to become even more isolated. Almost 300 million people suffer with depression worldwide and suicide is second leading cause of death for 15-29-year olds.

I have for a long time been an avid believer that exercise is one of the most effective ways to combat depression. I’m also absolutely sick of incredibly loved people dying from either suicide or addiction. Therefore, I have decided to spend the month of May raising awareness for mental health (specifically depression) and encouraging people to reach out if they are struggling. I’ll be doing this by completing a solo 30k Duathlon every day for the whole month of May, totalling just over 900 Kilometres for the month. This will consist of a 10-kilometre run & a 20-kilometre cycle. Every day for 31 days.

Every day alongside my completion times I will post one mental health fact to help understanding, one daily action individuals can take to alleviate depression and one related inspirational quote to boost motivation. I personally find the daily action points that will be included improve wellbeing, positivity and productivity in general, so you don’t have to be depressed to implement them in your life and see an improvement. If ever there was a time to make a positive change, it’s now. There is however, a strong chance that at some point in life, you or someone close to you will struggle with depression. Therefore, knowing techniques to alleviate it are essential. Out of 31 daily actions, there are guaranteed to be at least some that work for you. In the coming months there will be far reaching mental health implications stemming from COVID 19 as we as a species deal with loss of life, loss of work and loss of purpose. There are also the hospital staff who have endured many traumatic losses, putting the lives of others before theirs and their families.

To help as many people as possible I have set up a “JustGiving” fundraising page with donations going to “MQ” (Mental health & Quality of life) who, through scientific research aim to create a world where mental illness is understood, effectively treated, and ultimately prevented. However, I understand that a lot of people are currently out of work and there are a lot of fundraisers happening right now, so if you can’t donate then please share this page to raise as much awareness as possible. If half of the people I know donate only £2 or $3 (depending on what county you’re in) we will raise over £1000 for Mental Health. Even If doing this helps just one person, then it will be worth it. On a final note, if anyone I know is ever suffering, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You’re not alone.