World Mental Health Day: mental health in humanitarian emergencies

Today is World Mental Health Day. This year’s global focus is mental health in humanitarian emergencies and access to support. I have seen first-hand the distress, trauma and grief that war and famine create in emergency disasters. Before I became a counsellor, I worked as a water engineer with humanitarian agencies such as Oxfam. We were quick to install emergency water systems with and for people who’d lived through the crisis—but support for their mental health (and for aid workers) was often missing. That gap is why I changed careers.

Closer to home, many of us are also carrying “everyday emergencies”: grief, work pressure, caring and money worries. The question I’m asked most is: What can I do today that actually helps? Below are small, doable steps—plus where to get urgent help.

Three gentle actions you can take today

1) One grounding minute
Look up at the sky, feel your feet on the floor, and lengthen your out-breath. If you want structure, try 5-4-3-2-1: five things you can see; four you can feel; three you can hear; two you can smell; one slow breath.

2) Name and narrow
Empty your head onto paper. Ring one task that takes under 10 minutes and do just that. (If work overwhelm is a theme, see my handout: Tips to help when you’re feeling overwhelmed at work.

3) A tiny dose of outside
Two minutes by a window, a tree or water can soften stress. Notice one colour, one sound, one sensation.

When global events feel overwhelming

It’s common to feel emotionally drained, anxious or helpless when relentless bad news is everywhere. The Mental Health Foundation suggests practical ways to reduce overwhelm without ignoring the world: limit doom-scrolling, choose trusted sources, set check-in times, talk to someone you trust, and take small actions that align with your values (donations, local volunteering, contacting an MP). These steps can restore a sense of agency and steadiness.

If today is really hard

• Samaritans 116 123 (free, 24/7). You don’t have to be suicidal to call

• NHS 111 (choose the mental health option) for urgent advice and your local crisis line in England, now available 24/7.
  If there’s immediate danger to life, call 999 or go to A&E.

For people in (or coming from) emergencies

Whether you’re a survivor, refugee, family member back home, or an aid worker/volunteer, distress is a human response to abnormal events. In therapy we’ll go gently and practically—grounding the body, making space for grief or anger, and building day-to-day steadiness. If you like, we can include simple nature-aware practices (the things that help me: bike, boat and boots).

How I work

I’m an integrative, relational counsellor in Sheffield (Nether Edge and online). I blend talking therapy with body-based tools you can use between sessions and fit the work to you—your culture, values, access needs and safety.