Mental Health Awareness Week 2026: It's not too late to do something
Mental Health Awareness Week 2026 is 11–17 May, and it’s not too late to get your workplace involved in some way. It really doesn’t need to be complicated, costly or time-consuming to be meaningful for your people.
We don’t need to wait for an awareness day or week to think about our mental fitness. But there IS value in using them as a reason to re-engage your people, restart conversations and remind your organisation that wellbeing isn’t a nice-to-have once in a while thing. It’s a necessity.
This year's theme: ACTION
The Mental Health Foundation has chosen ACTION as the 2026 theme because while awareness has done enormous good in shifting the stigma around mental health, real change happens when we actually DO something.
Six ideas any workplace can try this Mental Health Awareness Week
You don’t need a big budget or a dedicated HR team to make Mental Health Awareness Week meaningful. Here are six simple ideas that work for organisations of any size:
1. Wear It Green Day on Thursday 14 May
For a bit of fun, get involved in the official campaign moment and show your organisation’s support. The Mental Health Foundation’s resource pack includes an event poster, quiz, conversation starters, and more. Well worth downloading.
2. Team lunchtime walk
Step away from your work together. Get outside, breathe fresh air, and give your team genuine permission to reset. Choose your best day, send a calendar invite, and get walking. The conversation that happens along the way is often the most valuable of the week.
3. Informal cuppa and chat
No agenda, no objectives, just people connecting. All it takes is someone with the initiative to book a time, find a space, and bring the biscuits! Never underestimate the power of simply feeling seen and heard.
4. One thing each
Ask every team member to identify one small action they’ll commit to for their own wellbeing this week. Share them on a group chat or noticeboard. It builds accountability, normalises the conversation, and reminds people they’re not navigating this alone.
5. Lunch & learn mini-session
Twenty minutes. One person sharing something that genuinely supports their mental health. No expert required just honest, human stories. These are often the sessions people remember most, precisely because they feel real.
6. The reverse meeting
Heard of this one? Before diving into your next team meeting agenda, open with one question:
“What do you need from us right now?”
It literally takes sixty seconds and sends a clear message that your people matter more than KPIs.
From awareness to lasting impact
The most progressive organisations I work with treat Mental Health Awareness Week not as a one-off event, but as a springboard.
An opportunity to either launch something that carries on or re-engages a dusty wellbeing strategy. That might mean introducing a couple of wellness questions during manager check-ins, building a wellbeing pledge board or investing in training that gives employees practical tools they can use in real-life situations.
Which brings me to something I’m offering throughout May.
Live online session: "How to disrupt negative thoughts at work"
In just half an hour, I’ll walk your team through 3 neuroscience techniques to interrupt negative or unhelpful thinking patterns and reset their thoughts at work.
It’s really practical, something they can use straight away and requires no preparation on your side beyond sending out the invites.
£150 per session | Online | 30 minutes | Available throughout May
If you’d like to bring this to your team, email me at hello@dawn-barnes to book your date.
Some news I'm proud to share
Finally, I wanted to share with you some news – 2 awards for me!
First, I’ve been awarded Best High-Pressure Workplace Wellbeing Trainer 2026 (UK) by the GHP Mental Health Awards 2026. This one means a great deal to me because it reflects the work I‘m doing to help people feel lighter when work feels heavy.
Plus, I was a little surprised and yes thrilled to be notified I’ve made the Regional Finals of Berkshire’s Muddy Stilettos Awards 2026 in the Best Wellbeing Specialist category, as one of 10 finalists! Wowsers, what a month!
If you feel so inclined, you can vote for me: The link is here: https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/awards/vote/
Dawn Barnes Award-winning workplace wellbeing trainer
Dawn Barnes helps individuals and organisations feel lighter when work feels heavy. As an award-winning workplace wellbeing trainer and course creator, she works high-pressurre workplaces to build practical, people-first cultures where mental fitness is part of everyday working life.
Based in Berkshire, Dawn delivers training, workshops, and live online sessions that are designed from lived experience, neuroscience and customised for each organisations’ needs.
Best High-Pressure Workplace Wellbeing Trainer 2026 (UK) – GHP Mental Health Awards
Muddy Stilettos Awards 2026 Regional Finalist – Best Wellbeing Specialist, Berkshire
Email the team at hello@dawn-barnes.com