Farewell February, and hello spring awareness days.

Hello March, farewell February. As we welcome a new month in here at Fortis, our commitment to delivering accessible therapeutic services across the UK remains our focus. As does our drive to clue you into all of the awareness days and celebrations approaching.

Several awareness days and weeks are running throughout March, highlighting the challenges people often face in their lives.

We appreciate the usefulness of mental health awareness days, far from being gimmicky, we believe they not only help to educate others but can act as a catalyst for action, especially if you are affected by the topic.
So, let's take a look at the awareness days running this month.

Self-injury Awareness Day (SIAD), March 1

Self-injury may be a complex topic to navigate. Still, it's important to have a conversation about it, to help break down the stigma around this often misunderstood facet of mental health. Just telling someone about your self-injury is scary, but we know it's a coping mechanism and we are here to support you.

Employee Appreciation Day, March 3

Most adults spend a lot of their time at work.

This is why, as an employer, it's a good idea to cultivate a positive culture of employee appreciation to create a feel-good atmosphere in the workplace.

Employee Appreciation Day highlights the importance of telling your team you're grateful for their hard work, that you acknowledge their strengths and recognise their efforts, particularly as a combination of the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis continues to have an impact on so many of us.

We work with employers to find ways to build an environment where workers feel happy, which in turn boosts motivation and productivity. Read more about boosting happiness in the workplace.

International Women's Day, March 8

A celebration of women's achievements on a global scale is certainly something we can get behind here at Fortis, especially as the message from the organisers of this year's event is #EmbraceEquity.
For a long time, the buzzword has been gender 'equality' but now, the focus is on 'equity' - a desire to create an inclusive world. When we embrace equity, we embrace diversity and inclusion and we level the playground for all human beings to thrive. Discover the IWD events we're hosting here.

Neurodiversity Celebration Week, March 13

Neurodiversity Celebration Week is a worldwide initiative founded by Siena Castellon in 2018. It challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences and aims to recognise the many talents and advantages of being neurodivergent.

Fortis therapist Gemma, has been very fortunate to work with many children and young people who have been diagnosed on the autistic spectrum. She has discovered all of the beautiful differences and abilities these children bring to the world.

This awareness week is a chance for neurodivergent individuals and their families, as well as therapists to celebrate what it means to have a 'different' mind, rather than focus on labels like Dyslexia, Autism or ADHD.

You can read more about Gemma's thoughts on neurodiversity, here.

Do awareness days work? It depends on how you measure their success but if one person reaches out for help because they read a tweet, had a heartfelt conversation with a friend or read a blog post like this one, then this can only be a positive thing.

If you need help with any of the topics covered above, Fortis offers a portfolio of therapy options, including Therapy for individuals, Therapy for businesses, Therapy for schools and Online therapy sessions.