Opening up Conversations About Faith and Mental Health

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has thrown up many risks to our health and wellbeing. The Fitness, Faith & Feeling Good festival, a project by the Faith & Belief Forum and Maccabi GB, is exploring a range of approaches to looking after ourselves at home during these challenging times, showcased by diverse partners from across London

One organisation taking part in the festival is The Delicate Mind, an award-winning community interest company which focuses on faith and mental health, especially in the Muslim diaspora.

The Delicate Mind works with people to explore how their identity, including faith and what they believe, impacts how they experience and perceive their own mental health. The practices draw on both science and spirituality to open up conversations about identity and wellbeing. The organisation delivers workshops in a range of settings including schools, prisons, and workplaces. They are also involved in mental health research such into masculinity, racial injustices, and mental health.

We sat down (virtually) with one of the founders of the Delicate Mind, Nikhwat. They have seen that the pandemic has greatly negatively impacted people’s mental health and has highlighted the gaps in current mental health provision. The Delicate Mind are currently developing their online offers, and hope to launch a men’s mental health discussion group soon.

When asked what has helped him during lockdown, Nikhwat emphasised the importance of a daily gratitude journal, tracking what he is grateful for from the previous day – be it friends, family, work, food or even his own hair! He also created a routine of making time for one purely enjoyable activity every day, such as reading or playing music.

Follow along with the Delicate Mind’s workshop, part of Fitness, Faith and Feeling Good, on Facebook and YouTube

Connect with the Delicate Mind via their website here

The founders of the Delicate Mind were participants of the Faith & Belief Forum’s leadership programme ParliaMentors

By Nicholas McDonald, Events Volunteer