World Mental Health Day 2026

In this blog, Victoria Stamp Director of Emotional Wellbeing at stormbreak, explores how we as practitioners can support our own wellbeing. 

There is a lot of noise surrounding wellbeing. Countless podcasts, self-help books and social media all vying for our attention with the promise of transformation in life satisfaction. This Mental Health World Day is a moment to pause, silence the chatter and reflect. Asking the question “how do I support my own wellbeing?”

At stormbreak we are passionate about supporting children to develop the skills they need to thrive through mentally healthy movement. We are also passionate about supporting the adults who work with and care for children. We support organisations we work with to make cultural shifts so that children and adults alike can experience the benefits to their wellbeing. We also practice what we preach.

Wellbeing has a significant body of scientific evidence behind it, which may sometimes be difficult to believe when watching the most recent influencer reduce the concept to a five second soundbite. A theory for wellbeing considers the building blocks of wellbeing as “capital”, a term that is readily understood. Capital is built upon earlier investments, it is the accumulation of resources over time. Luthans et al (2024) identified that wellbeing is strongest when investments are made in three areas; psychological capital, physical capital, and social capital. Anyone for some mentally healthy movement?! 

Often used in organisational psychology, Luthan et al’s (2024) theory may also be applied to individuals. Indulge me while I share a little more about each capital area, how it may support the children and adults you work with, as well as how we as the stormbreak team make our investments.

Psychological Capital comprises four domains - seasoned stormbreak fans may well recognise these! Hope, Efficacy (Self-worth), Resilience and Optimism,or HERO. Developing these skills is a sound investment for psychological capital. These support wellbeing by enabling healthy cognitive patterns and developing resources that can be drawn upon in times of challenge. As a charity, stormbreak’s success is enabled by our team’s exceptional resilience, hope and optimism - not only when confronted by challenging times but also when we strive to make a difference in the mental health the UK’s children.

Investment in Physical Capital is made through Mindfulness, Exercise, Nutrition and Deep breathing, or MEND. You may recognise mindfulness in and breathing from stombreak activities. We prefer to nurture movement in childhood, rather than exercise. Our specialist Together movement activities for children with care experiences uses creating food as a vehicle for mentally healthy movement. Movement is a foundation stone for Physical Capital. Movement is not just something that is taught here at stormbreak. Each of our team uses movement to support their mind and wellbeing.

Finally, Social Capital is built by investing in Faith, Relationships, Organisational Culture, Non-cognitive empathy and Teams or Communities, or FRONT. Here at stormbreak we recognise the value of building Social Capital. We intentionally invest in time in building the relationships within our team, often travelling hundreds of miles to enjoy time together. The culture that we cultivate is one of support, empathy and understanding.

Our efforts to make a difference in the wellbeing of children in the UK is only possible by being  part of a team (and organisation) who actively invest in our own wellbeing. What does this look like in practice? 

Recently we suspended work for two days and assembled for one of our regular stormbreak away days. We invested time in feasting together, playing games together, we chatted, laughed and encouraged one another. We travelled miles to be together, with some needing to show resilience on the journey. We embody the stormbreak approach, benefiting from it.

Here is your invitation to consider what is your experience of wellbeing in your workplace? How can you invest in these three Capitals to support wellbeing - both for yourself and your colleagues? What is the one thing that you can do today?

The challenge - go do it!

Victoria Stamp - Director of Emotional Wellbeing at stormbreak