The dodo bird went extinct in 1662 - or around thereabouts. The year 1662 is when the last known sighting of the slightly odd shaped flightless bird was recorded. From its first mention in 1598, less than a century passed before humans and invasive species ruined their natural habitat and hunted the dodos to extinction.

So what on earth does this have to do with mental health?

I find dodos permeate things that I love - literature, gaming, and collecting. I get so excited when I’m in a museum and see that there’s a natural history bit because maybe - just maybe! - there’ll be a skeleton to see or a reproduction of one with which I can take a ridiculous picture. Simply put: they make me happy.

Over the past few years, I’ve struggled more with my mental health than I have in ages. I’m thankful to be in a much better place now - and part of what helped me through some of those tough times was to focus on what little things make me happy. I would build a dodo farm in Minecraft or ride a giant dodo in Skyrim. I’d read and reread authors like Jodi Taylor and Jasper Fforde, who have included the dodo in their stories. I would work on my embroidery and add little dodos to handkerchief edges or make larger dodos just to practice a new stitch. In their way, dodos gave me somewhere else to be in my head whether it was through fiction or crafting or what-have-you. Dodos were an important part of digging myself out of a dark time and I want to share that feeling of positivity.

With the Covid pandemic, keeping your mind healthy is more important than ever. Positivity isn’t all that’s needed to keep your ‘mind habitat’ thriving. We need to actively talk about mental health and mental illnesses to break the stigma around them. We need to advocate for better care and better practices including easier and clearer access to proper care - especially in a crisis. 

And that’s where Mind comes in.

Mind is a UK charity that offers mental health information and support while campaigning for change: ‘We believe everyone with a mental health problem should be able to access excellent care and services. We also believe you should be treated fairly, positively and with respect.’ Mind has a special page just for support concerning the coronavirus, too, offering advice on understanding your feelings about lockdown, working, and loneliness (to just name a few). Mind was one of the first places I was able to turn to find help - if you’re struggling, I urge you to let them help you, too.

On 23 May, I’ll be walking 13K for the Durrell Challenge and will be fundraising for the wildlife conservation trust as well as Mind. I’ll be bringing a trio of happy dodos with me and will be documenting our walk on Twitter and Instagram using #SavageDodos - hope you join us!

Please don’t feel any pressure to donate! Simply spreading awareness of Mind and proactive mental health care is what is important!

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