Skip to content
en English▼
X
af Afrikaanssq Albanianam Amharicar Arabichy Armenianaz Azerbaijanieu Basquebe Belarusianbn Bengalibs Bosnianbg Bulgarianca Catalanceb Cebuanony Chichewazh-CN Chinese (Simplified)zh-TW Chinese (Traditional)co Corsicanhr Croatiancs Czechda Danishnl Dutchen Englisheo Esperantoet Estoniantl Filipinofi Finnishfr Frenchfy Frisiangl Galicianka Georgiande Germanel Greekgu Gujaratiht Haitian Creoleha Hausahaw Hawaiianiw Hebrewhi Hindihmn Hmonghu Hungarianis Icelandicig Igboid Indonesianga Irishit Italianja Japanesejw Javanesekn Kannadakk Kazakhkm Khmerko Koreanku Kurdish (Kurmanji)ky Kyrgyzlo Laola Latinlv Latvianlt Lithuanianlb Luxembourgishmk Macedonianmg Malagasyms Malayml Malayalammt Maltesemi Maorimr Marathimn Mongolianmy Myanmar (Burmese)ne Nepalino Norwegianps Pashtofa Persianpl Polishpt Portuguesepa Punjabiro Romanianru Russiansm Samoangd Scottish Gaelicsr Serbianst Sesothosn Shonasd Sindhisi Sinhalask Slovaksl Slovenianso Somalies Spanishsu Sudanesesw Swahilisv Swedishtg Tajikta Tamilte Teluguth Thaitr Turkishuk Ukrainianur Urduuz Uzbekvi Vietnamesecy Welshxh Xhosayi Yiddishyo Yorubazu Zulu
01225 316199 [email protected]
Mini Cart 0

Your cart is empty.

Bath Mind
Bath Mind
Get Help Now Donate Jobs Blog
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Vision, Mission and Values
    • Strategy
    • Impact Report
    • Our Ambassadors
    • Trustees and Governance
    • Privacy policy
    • Mind Retail
  • Our Services
    • 1:1 Mental Health Support
      • Access Community Mental Health
      • Befriending
      • Counselling
    • Evening Support: Breathing Space
    • For Professionals
    • Supported Housing
      • Residential Care Home
      • Supported Living
    • Wellbeing Groups
      • Eco-Therapy: Greenlinks
      • Food for Thought
      • Football Group
      • Hopespace
      • Radstock Wellbeing Group
      • Online Wellbeing Group
      • Open Opportunities
      • Photography Groups
      • Movement for Wellbeing: Over 55s Sessions
      • Stitch
      • Wellbeing Walks
    • Supported Living
      • Community Support Service
      • Intensive Outreach Support Service
      • Welfare Benefit Service
    • Support for Young People
      • Mentoring for Young People
      • Room 627
      • Safe Space Group
  • Get involved
    • Events
    • Members Panel
    • Work for Us
    • Volunteering
    • Your Stories Blog
  • Support Us
    • Donate
    • Fundraise for Bath Mind
      • Fundraising at home
      • Fundraising Challenges
    • Bath Half 2022
    • Charity of the Year
    • Gifts in Wills
    • In Memory Donations
    • Our Fundraisers
    • 365 Days of Messages
  • Resources
    • Information and Tips
      • Children and Young People
      • Coronavirus and Mental Health
      • Food and Mood
      • LGBTQI+ Mental Health
      • Loneliness
      • Managing Stress
      • Sport and Mental Health
      • Sleep Problems
      • Wellbeing at Work
    • Local Support Services
      • Get Help Now
      • Community Wellbeing Hub
    • Online Wellbeing Courses
      • Connect with Nature
      • Nutrition for Wellbeing
      • Ways to Wellbeing
    • Wellbeing Activities
      • Armchair Travel
      • Breathing Exercises
      • Colouring for Relaxation
      • Craft Activities
      • Gardening
      • Nature
      • Puzzles, Games & Quizzes
      • Recipes & Nutrition
      • Physical Wellbeing
  • Training
    • Wellbeing in the Workplace
      • Book your session
    • Courses and Qualifications
      • Mental Health First Aid
      • Suicide First Aid
      • Upcoming Courses
    • Training for Young People
  • News
    • Blog
  • Shop
    • Bath Mind Annual Calendar
    • Bath Mind Running Vest
  • Contact us
Login
My Account
0 items
Get Help Now Donate Jobs Blog
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Vision, Mission and Values
    • Strategy
    • Impact Report
    • Our Ambassadors
    • Trustees and Governance
    • Privacy policy
    • Mind Retail
  • Our Services
    • 1:1 Mental Health Support
      • Access Community Mental Health
      • Befriending
      • Counselling
    • Evening Support: Breathing Space
    • For Professionals
    • Supported Housing
      • Residential Care Home
      • Supported Living
    • Wellbeing Groups
      • Eco-Therapy: Greenlinks
      • Food for Thought
      • Football Group
      • Hopespace
      • Radstock Wellbeing Group
      • Online Wellbeing Group
      • Open Opportunities
      • Photography Groups
      • Movement for Wellbeing: Over 55s Sessions
      • Stitch
      • Wellbeing Walks
    • Supported Living
      • Community Support Service
      • Intensive Outreach Support Service
      • Welfare Benefit Service
    • Support for Young People
      • Mentoring for Young People
      • Room 627
      • Safe Space Group
  • Get involved
    • Events
    • Members Panel
    • Work for Us
    • Volunteering
    • Your Stories Blog
  • Support Us
    • Donate
    • Fundraise for Bath Mind
      • Fundraising at home
      • Fundraising Challenges
    • Bath Half 2022
    • Charity of the Year
    • Gifts in Wills
    • In Memory Donations
    • Our Fundraisers
    • 365 Days of Messages
  • Resources
    • Information and Tips
      • Children and Young People
      • Coronavirus and Mental Health
      • Food and Mood
      • LGBTQI+ Mental Health
      • Loneliness
      • Managing Stress
      • Sport and Mental Health
      • Sleep Problems
      • Wellbeing at Work
    • Local Support Services
      • Get Help Now
      • Community Wellbeing Hub
    • Online Wellbeing Courses
      • Connect with Nature
      • Nutrition for Wellbeing
      • Ways to Wellbeing
    • Wellbeing Activities
      • Armchair Travel
      • Breathing Exercises
      • Colouring for Relaxation
      • Craft Activities
      • Gardening
      • Nature
      • Puzzles, Games & Quizzes
      • Recipes & Nutrition
      • Physical Wellbeing
  • Training
    • Wellbeing in the Workplace
      • Book your session
    • Courses and Qualifications
      • Mental Health First Aid
      • Suicide First Aid
      • Upcoming Courses
    • Training for Young People
  • News
    • Blog
  • Shop
    • Bath Mind Annual Calendar
    • Bath Mind Running Vest
  • Contact us
Bath Mind

10 Westgate Street 
Bath 
BA1 1EQ 

01225 316199
[email protected]
  • Privacy policy

Website Design © 2022 C27 Media Ltd

Recent News

  • Join us at our Community Unity Day!
  • Making Social Media Content More Accessible
  • Managing the Effects of Loneliness in the Workplace
  • Menopause, Loneliness and the Power of Connection in the Workplace
  • Bath Mind partners with the Toolstation Western League

News Archive

  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • January 2020
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • January 2019
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018

Lexie – Jane’s Story

Lexie – Jane’s Story

A blog written by Bath Mind Trustee, Jane Shayler, on how her dog Lexie has benefited her mental wellbeing. 

It is much easier for me not to feel lonely or isolated when Lexie is at my side.

Introducing Lexie…

Meet Lexie. Lexie is a puppy full of love, joy and life force.  She can also be very naughty – securing treats through charm and balls by stealing them – but she is so lovely mainly she gets away with it (and is sometimes encouraged her misbehaviour).  If I ever loose Lexie, I know it is because she has gone visiting a friend or member of her extended family!  Her new Best Friend Forever (or just right now) can be four or two legged – she’s happy with either or best of all both.

Easing loneliness

Lexie is vital to my mental health and wellbeing.  She is a very important part of helping me, a single woman living alone, to feel connected to my community.  It is much easier for me not to feel lonely or isolated when she is at my side.  She has taught me how to be joyful.  Make friends of strangers.  Win hearts.  She always assumes people want to be friends and mainly they do – even when she’s putting her muddy paws on them! 

There have been times when I have really struggled with my mental health, experiencing periods of depression and anxiety. At these times, having a dog and, especially, walking a dog has made me step outside the front door when otherwise it would be hard for me to get out of bed. I get outside come rain or shine, whether or not I feel like it, and always feel better afterwards. Walking with Lexie enables me to connect with other walkers and dog lovers – even if it is only to comment on the weather, apologise for Lexie’s misbehaviour or agree that Lexie is lovely.

Final thoughts

I know having a dog is not for everyone. If I couldn’t practically have a dog, I would look into dog-share schemes or volunteer for a dog rescue charity or offer to walk a neighbour’s dog. What I do know is for me, time walking a dog everyday is a vital part of my mental and physical wellbeing and helping to prevent me feeling lonely. I would really encourage others who might be experiencing loneliness to consider whether caring for a dog (either full-time or part-time) might be for them.

Thank you so much to Jane, Lexie’s Sidekick and Bath Mind Trustee, for sharing this blog with us for #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek! 

Posted on: 3rd May 2022

back to news

Contact Us

Bath Mind

10 Westgate Street 
Bath 
BA1 1EQ 

01225 316199
[email protected]

Help In A Hurry

  • Contact Us

Get Social

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn

© 2022 Bath Mind
Registered in England 3531040
Charity No. 1069403

Website Design © 2022 C27 Media Ltd

  • Privacy policy
Mini Cart 0

Your cart is empty.