The Art of Kindness
Motherhood is exhausting and demanding at the best of times, and for some can lead to loneliness, depression, anxiety and isolation. In the age of COVID-19, the pressure on mums is greater than ever: juggling work, home-schooling and the daily pressures of family life.
“Depression in mums is surprisingly common, yet very much overlooked,” says Dr Sandi Mann, director of The MindTraining Clinic, in her article ‘Mummies aren’t mean to cry’. In another article about depressed mothers, Sandi explains that their depression is often centered around feelings of self-worth and self-esteem as new parents and “knowing that they are not alone can be immensely reassuring”.
In a bid to help the nation’s stressed mothers, a group of women, some of whom have experienced mental health issues first-hand, have come together to create an inspiring new collection of cards designed to support and help other mums reconnect with each other during these troubling times.
The new collection of cards is designed by a mixture of ordinary mums and established graphic artists. These include a qualified counsellor, a head teacher from Manchester, a mental health nurse and a breastfeeding coordinator – all with recent experience of what it’s like to be a struggling mum. All proceeds from ‘The Art of Kindness series’, in collaboration with custom card-app TouchNote, are being donated to the Mental Health Foundation.
TouchNote CEO, Dan Ziv, said: “Over the past few weeks we have all shared feelings of distress and yet seen utter kindness too. We couldn’t be more proud of this collection of beautiful cards and their inspiring messages to help support mums, and others, who find themselves under huge pressure. We hope that the Art of Kindness helps people to share love and hope during these difficult times”.
Mark Rowland, CEO of The Mental Health Foundations says: “We are delighted to be partnering with TouchNote – the funds raised from sales of the Art of Kindness range will help us to protect and improve the lives of millions of people in the UK and beyond. We’ve been working to support young mums and new parents for a number of years. This is a key time for the mental health of everyone in the family and it’s lovely to see this range of cards developed by parents, in the way they feel would most help others.
Kindness is important for our mental health, whether we are giving or receiving it. We’re asking people to show kindness to others – and sending a card is a great way to do that. We’re also asking people to think about how they can bring more deliberate kindness into their lives, as well as asking policy makers and communities to build more kindness and compassion into the way we move through, and beyond the pandemic.”
