St Andrew's day - A time to show Scotland cares

There is no denying that 2020 has been a year of hardship for many. The cruelty of the coronavirus has caused sudden bereavements, loneliness, job losses and financial hardship, and the worsening of existing mental health problems.

Lee Knifton, Director of Mental Health Foundation Scotland

Earlier this year, in May, we picked kindness as the theme for Mental Health Awareness Week – because we were already seeing just how important kindness and compassion were going to be for getting us through the pandemic.

We tend to think of kindness in terms of individual acts but it’s much wider than that. This year, kindness has brought people together across Scotland to support and protect one another, saving lives and building bonds which will help as we recover.

The science is clear too – kindness is good for our mental health – whether we are giving it or receiving it from others. Our Kindness Matters guide explains the benefits, from increased happiness and reduced stress to living longer. Helping others can also reduce feelings of isolation by helping people to create, maintain and strengthen their social connections.

In our survey earlier this year, almost two-thirds of Scottish adults agreed that being kind to others has a positive impact on their mental health. In the face of extreme challenge, Scots have once again stepped up in inspiring ways to help others, from delivering a neighbour’s shopping to organising community foodbanks. I think we can once again stand by our claim of being a truly friendly nation.

Every day we are hearing about heartwarming stories of kindness, big and small. Long may it continue.

Treating people with kindness is a core value in the Scottish Government’s objectives – and now more than ever that needs to be lived out as we face tough decisions about the way we recover. From how we run our social services to how we treat people in our justice system and health and social care, there should be a fundamental test for all new and existing policies: is it kind?

This week we marked St Andrew’s Day and I’m delighted that the Scottish Government is encouraging us to take this moment to celebrate kindness. As we share one million kind words, we can also look to the future and embrace our once-in-a-generation opportunity to re-imagine an even kinder Scotland – one that protects all our mental health and especially that of the most vulnerable.

Find out more about the Scottish Government’s St Andrew’s Day 2020 campaign here: https://onescotland.org/campaigns/st-andrews-day/

#WeAreScotland

Lee Knifton, Director of Mental Health Foundation Scotland