Take Action This Year's Mental Health Awareness Week
This week, 11 to 17 May 2026, is Mental Health Awareness Week, and this year's theme from the Mental Health Foundation is simple and direct: Take Action.
It is a theme that feels right for where we are. Awareness of mental health has grown enormously over the past decade. Most people now understand that mental health matters, that one in five adults in the UK will experience a common mental health condition, and that we should talk about it more openly. But awareness, by itself, does not change anything. Action does.
At Link3 Recruitment, we work with schools and education professionals every single day, and we know that mental health is not just a topic for the curriculum. It is something that affects teachers, support staff, school leaders, and the children in their care, all at once, often all at the same time. This week is a good moment to pause and think about what action actually looks like for all of us.
Exam Season and Mental Health: A Pressure-Filled Overlap
This week carries extra weight because it falls right in the middle of exam season. GCSEs, A Levels and other assessments are underway, and for many young people, this is one of the most stressful periods of their school life.
NHS England has been clear this week that exam pressure can have a real impact on young people's mental health, and that everyone around them has a role to play. Dr Michael Gregory, Regional Medical Director for NHS England in the North West, put it well: "Exams can be an intense and pressured period for many young people, and it's vital they feel supported, confident and able to look after their mental health. We all have a role to play in helping them through this important stage of their academic journey."
That role does not fall solely on young people themselves. Parents, teachers, and support staff can make a genuine difference by checking in regularly, noticing signs of stress before they escalate, and helping pupils feel that the exam result is not the only measure of who they are. Small reassurances, practical support with revision structure, and simply making space for honest conversations can all matter more than people realise.
The NHS 5 Ways to Wellbeing
One of the most practical and widely trusted frameworks for supporting mental health comes from the NHS, based on research developed by the New Economics Foundation. The NHS 5 Ways to Wellbeing are evidence-based actions that anyone can take to support their own mental health and the mental health of those around them. They are just as relevant in a staffroom as they are at home.
Connect. Building and nurturing relationships with the people around you, whether family, friends, colleagues, or the wider school community, is one of the most powerful things you can do for your mental health. Social connection acts as a genuine buffer against mental ill health.
Be Active. Regular physical activity is closely linked to improved mental wellbeing. It does not need to be a gym session. A walk, a cycle, a dance in the kitchen. Even ten minutes of movement can lift mood and reduce stress. Finding something you actually enjoy makes it sustainable.
Keep Learning. Staying curious and setting goals, at any age, is associated with higher levels of wellbeing. In schools, this applies to staff as much as pupils. CPD, a new hobby, or simply trying something unfamiliar can all contribute to a greater sense of purpose.
Take Notice. Pausing to be present, noticing what is around you, how you feel, what is good about today, is at the heart of mindfulness practice and has real evidence behind it. It does not have to be formal. It can simply be stepping outside for five minutes and actually looking at the world rather than a screen.
Give. Doing something for someone else, even something small, is consistently linked to improved wellbeing. A kind word to a colleague, checking in on someone who seems quiet, volunteering your time. Giving and connection often go hand in hand.
Wellbeing in Education Starts With Adults Too
It would be easy to focus this week entirely on the young people in schools. But teacher wellbeing matters deeply too, and it does not get talked about enough.
The profession is under sustained pressure. Workload, behaviour challenges, staff shortages, and the emotional weight of supporting children with complex needs all take a toll. Research consistently shows that schools where staff wellbeing is taken seriously tend to retain their people better and, crucially, produce better outcomes for pupils. Happy, supported adults create better environments for children to learn and grow in.
If you are an education professional reading this and things feel heavy right now, this week is as good a moment as any to take one small action. Tell someone. Take a break. Do one thing from the list above. You do not need to overhaul everything at once. That is the point of the theme this year. Small actions, taken consistently, create real change.
From Us at Link3
Mental health and wellbeing sit at the heart of what it means to build good schools. The work that teachers, teaching assistants, SENCOs and support staff do every day is not just about lessons and outcomes. It is about showing up for young people at some of the most formative moments of their lives.
This Mental Health Awareness Week, we want to say a genuine thank you to every education professional who keeps showing up. Your wellbeing matters. And so does the wellbeing of every young person sitting an exam this week who could do with being reminded that they are more than a grade.
If you need support this week or beyond, the Mental Health Foundation has free resources at mentalhealth.org.uk, and the NHS Every Mind Matters platform at nhs.uk/every-mind-matters offers personalised tips you can access today.
