Making Mental Health and Well-being for All a Global Priority
October 11, 2022
- World Mental Health Day
- Benefits of Taking Mental Health Day
- Mental Health Do’s and Don’ts
- Organizations
- Hotlines
- Related Blog Posts
World Mental Health Day
World Mental Health Day is celebrated every year on the 10th of October. This day is dedicated to raising awareness and bringing support to mental health issues. Covid-19 has created a global crisis for mental health and this year the World Health Organization wants to focus on making mental health a priority. Their campaign for this year is called “Making Mental Health and Well-being for All a Global Priority.” While we have changed as a society in terms of mental health, there are still stigmas and discrimination that continue to be a barrier to social inclusion and access to the right care. We want to break out of this stigma to help everyone who needs it because every day is mental health day.
Benefits of Taking Mental Health Day
Many people can experience burnout whether it’s work, school, or life in general. One in five Americans have at least one mental illness and it can be challenging for some to have this nonstop battle. This is why there are benefits to taking a Mental Health Day. The benefits include:
- Clearing your mind
- Having fun and enjoying things like hobbies
- Improves sleeping quality
- Time to process emotions
- Promote relaxation
- Reduce stress
Our society has been changing the stigma around mental health and even some schools give students a certain number of days that they can take off for their mental health. Many jobs and companies have also been changing their views and allowing their employees to take mental health days too.
Mental Health Do’s and Don’ts
Do:
- Do pay attention to your mental health.
- Do prioritize your mental health over all else.
- Do look for signs of mental health in others.
- Do understand that mental health is closely related to physical health.
Don’t:
- Don’t judge anyone for their mental health.
- Don’t minimize anyone’s mental health because it impacts everything, just like a physical illness.
- Don’t confuse a feeling with mental illnesses like sadness and depression.
- Don’t only focus on your mental health when you feel “burned out.”
- Don’t make mental health a shameful topic for someone to speak out about.
Organizations
- Bring Change to Mind
- Stomp Out Stigma
- How Are You, Really?
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
- Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA)
Hotlines
- Suicide Prevention Lifeline:
1-800-273-8255 - Substance Abuse and Mental Health:
1-800-662-4357 - NAMI HelpLine:
1-800-950-6264 - The Trevor Project:
866-488-7386