World Mental Health Day is coming up. Each year on October 10th, countries all over the world observe this day and work to bring awareness to mental health and the significant impact it has on people’s lives.
October 10th became World Mental Health Day in 1992 when The World Federation of Mental Health (WFMH) began commemorating with a global broadcast covering mental health themes. In 1994, the WFMH started the tradition of choosing a theme each year. This year, the theme is mental health in an unequal world. The goal of this theme is to raise awareness of the issues with inequality in mental health. Those issues include the lack of mental health services available to people living at or below the poverty line, and the stigma surrounding mental illness in marginalized communities.
To celebrate World Mental Health Day this year, you can learn about mental health issues and how you can spread awareness. The more you help raise awareness of the problem, the more we can decrease the worldwide mental health stigma. Here’s how you can participate:
Check-In With Yourself And Your Loved Ones
It’s important to check-in on mental health regularly, but it’s common to get caught up in a busy schedule and forget about it. Mental health day is the perfect reminder to get back in the habit of regularly checking in with yourself and your loved ones.
To check in on yourself, simply start by asking yourself a few questions. You might want to journal and reflect on these questions if that helps you think more deeply. Ask yourself the following questions:
- How am I feeling lately?
- Has anything been adding to my stress levels recently?
- Am I taking care of my body?
- Am I taking time to do things I love?
- Who can I lean on when I need extra support?
If any of these questions reveal that you’re not feeling mentally healthy, it’s a good time to think about what you can do to improve your mental health. That could mean taking more time for self-care, looking for peer support groups, or seeking professional treatment for a mental illness.
If you’re not sure about the answers to these questions, you may want to consider reaching out to a mental health provider to discuss what you can do to improve your ability to check in with yourself.
To check in with your loved ones, ask these same questions. Let them know they can turn to you if they need support.
Become More Informed And Spread Your Knowledge
There’s never a better time than Global Mental Health Day to spend time researching mental health issues. There are so many resources online that can teach you about mental health. You might want to research the link between mental health and addiction, or you might be more interested in learning about how to support a suicidal friend. Spend time learning about any issue that is most interesting to you.
Once you’ve learned about an issue, be sure to share your new knowledge. Social media is an awesome tool for sharing facts, statistics, and helpful tips. You can also bring up what you’ve learned with friends and family members and encourage them to do their own research if they’re interested.
Donate or Volunteer With Mental Health Organizations
An excellent way to celebrate World Mental Health Day is by supporting organizations that work with people with mental illness or organizations that work to raise awareness of mental illness. You can support these organizations through monetary donations, but if donations aren’t in the budget right now, you can still support! Many organizations rely on volunteers to keep their operations going. Reach out to your favorite mental health organizations to see how you can help.
Consider supporting the World Federation for Mental Health or find a Mental Health America affiliate. If you already know of a mental health organization in your area that you admire, reach out and ask what kind of help they need.
Coordinate an Event
There are numerous types of events that promote positive mental health and spread awareness of mental illness. You can coordinate a mental health fair that shares resources and information on mental health. You could also hold a mental health screening event. Many people don’t realize they are living with a mental illness, and that they can receive treatment to feel better.
A mental health screening can help those people get the support they need. You could even combine your screening event with your mental health fair. There are online resources for mental health screenings. Simply set up a booth with internet access at your mental health fair and encourage people to take an online screening test.
Decreasing The Stigma
Your own experience is the number one tool you have for decreasing the stigma surrounding mental health. According to the CDC, more than 50% of people will be diagnosed with a mental health disorder at some point. This means that even if you don’t struggle with mental illness currently, it’s almost a guarantee that you have a loved one who does. If you have permission from your loved ones with mental illnesses, you can share those experiences too.
Don’t be afraid to speak about mental health experiences at work, school, with friends, or even at family gatherings. To reach a wider audience, you can share on social media, in a blog post, or even in a letter to the editor of a local newspaper. The more people you reach with your story, the more you’ll be able to impact your community for the better.
When people notice how common mental illness is, they become less afraid of it. Sharing your experience can show others how it is possible to live a fulfilling life even with a mental illness. You can also talk about what you did to cope with your mental illness, as many people are unaware of anything they can do to feel better. As you speak up, more people will realize that it’s okay to experience mental health issues.
