Mental Health Awareness Week: What the brain needs is what we all deserve.

Every year, Mental Health Awareness Week gives us a chance to pause and reflect. Not just on statistics but on what it really means to feel well, to be human, and to be held with care.

A cross section of a human brain.

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how our brains respond to the world around us, and how those responses can quietly shape the way we feel each day. Behind every smile, every sigh, every moment of struggle, there are things happening deep within the brain that many people never get the chance to understand. And that matters. Because when we understand what’s really going on, we can begin to meet ourselves and each other with more compassion.

Mental health is something we all have. It’s not just about mental illness. Just like we all have physical health, our mental wellbeing is part of our everyday life. It affects how we think, feel, connect, and cope.

Some days, our mental health is strong. Other times, it dips. You might feel anxious, low in energy, overwhelmed or numb. That’s what we call poor mental health. It doesn’t mean you’re broken or failing. It means you’re human. And sometimes, it means you need support or space to heal.

Mental ill health is when someone is living with a diagnosed condition, like depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD or bipolar disorder. Not everyone who is struggling has a diagnosis, and not everyone with a diagnosis is struggling every day. It’s all part of a wide, shifting landscape that deserves tenderness and understanding.

The World Health Organization (WHO) describes mental health as a state of wellbeing in which you can cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively, and contribute to your community. I love that definition, but I also know that many of us are simply trying to get through the day. And that deserves honouring too.

When we’re under ongoing stress, whether from work, illness, grief, loneliness, or trauma, our brains adapt to help us survive. The amygdala, which helps us detect danger, can become overactive, meaning we feel on edge even when nothing is wrong. The hippocampus, which helps us remember things and make sense of life, can shrink. And the prefrontal cortex, which helps us stay calm, focused, and make thoughtful decisions, can go quiet.

So if you’re struggling to concentrate, forgetting things, snapping more easily, or finding it hard to be present — you’re not lazy or weak. Your brain is doing its best to keep you safe. And that’s the most powerful truth I can share. Because from here, we can begin to heal.

Our brains are beautifully adaptable. This is what we call neuroplasticity. New neural pathways can be formed. Patterns can shift. Emotions can soften. Practices like mindfulness, therapy, journaling, spending time in nature, and gentle movement like yoga are not just nice things to do — they are scientifically shown to help the brain rewire itself.

You don’t need to be “fixed.” You need space. Safety. Support. Time. Kindness. And people around you who understand that healing looks different for everyone.

Mental health is not a niche issue. It is woven into every part of our lives: in how we parent, how we love, how we work, how we show up in our communities. If we want to live in a kinder, more connected world, then we need to care about mental health not just this week, but every week.

So I hope this Mental Health Awareness Week gives you permission to rest, to ask for help if you need it, and to check in on the people around you. Not just with a quick “how are you” but with a pause. A real pause.

Because being human is not about being strong all the time. It’s about being real. And the more we allow each other to be real, the more we all heal.