Glastonbury and Leeds Festival: How to take care of your mental health at festivals this summer

Mike McAdam, 38, co-founded Blink Mental Health, which provides support at festivals.

After his mental health deteriorated in 2017, McAdam found his condition was too serious for primary care, but not extreme enough for secondary care.

He accepts there are lots of brilliant charities and campaigns encouraging people – particularly men – to talk about their mental health and reach out if they need it, but “it’s incredibly difficult to get help”, he suggests.

This is where the idea for Blink came from – the ultimate aim is to set up a ‘Blink Bank’ providing money for private therapy for those who are stuck on waiting lists. McAdam accepts that is “really ambitious and would cost millions”, so as a starting point, Blink provides wellbeing at festivals.

Blink is going to six festivals this summer – including Boomtown and Wilderness – where it will set up dedicated tents which McAdam calls “a place to relax, get away from things [and] take your mind off the festival”, with bean bags and mindful activities such as colouring and jigsaw puzzles. Blink also offers between 12 and 18 hours a day of free talking therapy with fully qualified and accredited psychologists or psychotherapists.

While McAdam suggests early intervention is key when dealing with mental health, there are some things you can do to do yourself if you’re going to a festival this summer.

Before heading off to the festival, McAdam recommends being as prepared as possible. This could include “taking earplugs, a decent sleeping bag, making sure we have clothes for all weathers if we can”, he says.

“Because if you can’t get a decent night’s sleep, if you’re absolutely freezing, that will affect your physical and mental health.”

He recommends taking a water bottle you can refill throughout the festival, and adds: “Try and eat regularly.”

He suggests it can be “very easy to forget about eating or drinking [water]” at a festival, or you might not want to buy much food as it can be expensive on-site. However, taking your own snacks and bottle could go a long way to helping you be as comfortable as possible.

Camping wisely is another tip. “Try and camp with people you feel safe with,” is McAdam’s advice. And if you’re going to a festival with different options for camping – for example, Wilderness has a quiet camping area – choose the place that suits you best.

If you’re going solo, McAdam says: “Try and find the area that may suit your needs.”

And take the pressure off. “There won’t be an opportunity to explore and see everything that you may want to, so as hard as it is, please do not try and put too much pressure on yourself trying to get around everything you want to see.”