Mental health charity urges people to plan now for a re-set after festive stress

A mental health charity is urging people to plan ahead for a post-Christmas reset, warning that the festive season can be one of the most stressful times of the year.

Mind Over Mountains says that while Christmas is often portrayed as a joyful period, many people experience increased pressure from financial worries, complex family relationships and long to-do lists, all compounded by expectations to enjoy the celebrations.

To help people recover once the festivities are over, the charity is offering residents across Devon and the South West the opportunity to step away from everyday pressures through a January wellbeing retreat set in Dartmoor. The retreat aims to combine the benefits of spending time in nature with professional mental health support.

Mind Over Mountains chief executive Ian Boyd said:
“Evidence consistently shows a positive relationship between spending time in nature and good health and wellbeing. With our walks and weekend retreats we then offer much more than an escape into nature.

“Enjoying the Dartmoor scenery has a therapeutic effect on its own – and we add mental health support in that unpressured setting. Participants are accompanied by skilled counsellors and coaches who walk, talk and, most importantly, listen.”

The Dartmoor wellbeing retreat will take place over a weekend at the end of January and is open to anyone feeling overwhelmed, isolated or in need of space to reset after a challenging year.

Thanks to additional funding from a local Devon group, Mind Over Mountains is also able to offer financial support to people who may otherwise be unable to attend.

The funding has been raised through a Devon-based initiative called Summit to Share, set up by a group of men from the Barnstaple area. The group came together after the loss of a childhood friend in his mid-20s and wanted to take practical action to address stress, burnout and mental health challenges.

Through community walks, challenges and events held across the county, the group has raised thousands of pounds, with the funds now helping people access the Dartmoor retreat at a reduced cost.

Sam Hawkins, one of the group’s founders, said:
“We wanted to do something real and practical that would help people right here in Devon. Knowing that our fundraising is opening the door for others to get support in the outdoors feels incredibly meaningful.”

Places on the Dartmoor retreat can be booked via the Mind Over Mountains website at www.mindovermountains.org.uk The charity is encouraging people to sign up before the Christmas and New Year period to secure a place.