People across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are being urged to reconnect with nature for this year's Mental Health Awareness week.

Mental Health Awareness week is taking place from May 10 to May 16 and is organised by the national Mental Health Foundation charity - an organisation that aims to encourage more people to connect with the outdoors.

In a survey on accessing mental health support carried out this year by Healthwatch Cornwall, an independent organisation for people who use health services in the county, residents named ‘walks’, ‘air’, ‘sea’ and ‘exercise’ among their top stress-curing tools.

Furthermore, during the first lockdown, 96 percent of those responding to Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Nature in Lockdown survey agreed or strongly agreed that nature has been important for relieving stress and for their mental wellbeing during the first lockdown.

Three-fifths of those responding to the survey agreed or strongly agreed that they had connected with nature in a way they hadn't previously.

According to Cornwall Council, people are being asked to do the following things in order to reconnect with the natural world around them: "Experience nature - Take time to recognise and grow your connection with nature during the week.

"Enjoy a moment in your garden, local park, beach or your favourite walk and celebrate the small wonders of nature in your daily life.

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"Share nature - take a photo, video or sound recording and share the stories of the wildlife you have seen or heard during the week, to inspire others to pause and look around them.

"Join the discussion on how nature makes you feel by using the hashtags #ConnectWithNature #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek

"Talk about nature - you don’t need to be an expert to encourage others in your family, school, workplace and community to find new ways to connect with nature in your local environment.

"There are some brilliant resources available and local wildlife groups to join if you want to learn more, do more for nature or inspire others."

Dr Richard Sharpe, Advanced Public Health Practitioner and lead for mental health services at Cornwall Council, said: "Nature is a powerful tool for boosting our mental wellbeing and so we wholeheartedly support this theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week.

"Here in Cornwall we are blessed with some truly stunning scenery and opportunities to engage with nature and I would urge everyone to do so.

"Even small contacts with the natural world, whether it’s a walk on the beach or simply listening to birds singing in your garden, can reduce feelings of social isolation and be effective in protecting mental health and preventing distress.

"It is also important that we protect the environment so future generations can continue to benefit.

"The pandemic has undoubtedly taken a huge toll on many people’s mental wellbeing and we want everyone to know that it’s ok not to be ok.

"There is always help and support available for anyone who needs it; no one needs to go through this alone."