Jo Haining is a keen cyclist and proud member of #TeamSamaritans, having raised over £2,000 for Samaritans, taking part in Ride London. In addition, Jo is a brilliant GP and shares her thoughts about why taking part in an event for Samaritans during 2019 could boost your mental and physical wellbeing.
It’s well-documented that exercise is good for your physical wellbeing, but it is also great for your mental wellbeing. Christmas can be a tough time for those struggling with their mental health as it is often a time of reflection thinking about the year past. But the New Year is also a time to think about the future, so why not set yourself a goal for 2019 and sign up for an event through Samaritans?
There is something for everyone and their events team will support you right the way through – from sign-up to regular support throughout your training and celebrating with you at the end!”
Jo said, “Through my work as a GP I have seen many people with mental health problems but have seen the positive impact that Samaritans have had, supporting people through these difficult times.
“This is why I chose to support Samaritans by setting myself the challenge of cycling 100 miles, taking part in Ride London in both 2016 and 2018. The events team have been wonderful throughout and I became part of a community. By signing up and telling people about my goal it started conversations with friends, family and patients alike which I hope will go some way to try and de-stigmatise mental health problems.
“It’s all too easy to get caught up with work and our busy lives and you may think you don’t have time to fit in training for an event but signing up for Ride London really helped me focus on what was most important and to re-evaluate my own work-life balance.”