“Health is wealth”.

Mental health awareness month will vary from country to country of when they celebrate it. As we know that mental health is important as well as looking after ourselves physically. In America, they celebrate mental health awareness month which is celebrated in May. The stigma and stereotyping are still around mental health and treatment have existed for quite some time globally, even though this has started to change. Still, some people still hesitate to seek help or even talk about it with their loved ones for the fear of being judged, belittled and facing unnecessary backlash. We should be brave enough to seek the medical attention and help without feeling different feelings.

HISTORY OF MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

Since as I shared earlier May is Mental Health Awareness Month, there are a few health organizations and affiliates throughout the country–notably Mental Health America and the National Alliance on Mental Illness—are increasing their efforts to bring awareness and educate the public through the media with campaigns and local events regarding mental illness and some of the stigmas and misconceptions that are often associated with it.

Mental Health Awareness Month began in the United States in 1949. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the National Institute of Mental Health, one in five Americans is affected by mental health issues. Some of these conditions include bipolar disorder, panic attacks, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and schizophrenia. However, most of those at risk often fail to seek proper care and attention for a variety of reasons that range from lack of health insurance, to fear, or embarrassment of their situation.

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH TIMELINE

• 1909 – Mental Health America Founded
  
  Clifford Beers establishes the National Committee for Mental Hygiene, now known as Mental Health America.

• 1913 – First Outpatient Clinic in the U.S.A.
  
  Beers open the Clifford Beers Clinic in New Haven, and it is the first outpatient clinic for mental health patients in the U.S.

• 1948– World Federation for Mental Health
  
  The WFMH comes into existence and is affiliated with numerous NGOs and volunteers.

• 2020 – Mental Health in the Pandemic
  
  During the COVID-19 pandemic’s unprecedented times, Mental Health America chooses ‘Tools 2 Thrive’ as a theme to help people dealing with anxiety, stress, depression, etc. related to the pandemic.

Mental Health Awareness Month Activities Worth Trying

As we know that mental health is important to look after and that no matter what we should focus on our mental health once in a while and that this list of activities are ways that we can do to reduce any harm or stress in an environment such as our workplace and our home. Yet this article full of suggestions/ideas I’ve written is for the workplace for your team and yourself to try out!

1. Host a Stress Reduction Workshop

Stress hormones trigger the body’s “fight or flight response,” which when left untreated can cause chronic physical and emotional issues. Stress can trigger health woes that include everything from headaches to heartburn and insomnia to irritability. Consider having your benefits director host a stress-reducing activity workshop this month. Your staff will benefit from knowing there are healthy ways to handle stress!

2. Create an Interactive Bulletin Board

Bulletin boards in the workplace don’t need to be boring. Get creative with your hallway bulletins by turning them into an engaging Mental Health Awareness Month activity. You can print resources, and add fact sheets, and inspirational quotes to the boards. Additionally, you can pose questions that require employees to write their thoughts right on the board. Some ideas of questions to include: “What made you smile today?” or “What are you grateful for?” or “What’s your favourite activity to blow off steam?”

3. Get Physical

Host a karate instructor to come on-site for the day. Throughout the day, have the instructor offer mini-lessons for individuals and/or group classes. Physical sports like karate can build confidence and strength, along with a new exercise routine. If they can see if the instructor will supply small wood boards for a “breaking boards event” that can easily be a confidence training exercise for your team members.

4. Have a Well-Being Day

Host a day dedicated to well-being activities and exploration. You can keep it as simple as a mini-wellness benefits review with a light breakfast and an equally light workday. Or, have a variety of well-being stations set up for your staff. A hydration station with fruit-infused water, a colouring book station, a quiet meditation area, and an area for stretching are all easy ideas for a simple yet refreshing well-being day.

5. Create a Different Kind of Escape Room

Break rooms are a must for escaping work. Aside from your typical kitchen break room setup, consider making a different kind of escape room for employees. Add meditation pillows, bean bags, a diffuser, etc. in a space where employees can go for a restorative moment of quiet. Reflection and meditation are perfect Mental Health Awareness Month activities that can bring peace in as little as a few minutes.

6. Host a Tea/Coffee Event

Bring a mental health advocate in for a morning tea or coffee event. Host a healthy breakfast and invite your staff to come in and listen to a local psychologist or mental health professional. They can host a Q-and-A session about stress, anxiety, or any number of mental health topics. Or, ask for a specific theme to be covered like stress management techniques or anxiety-reducing activities.

7. Have an Outdoor Event Day

Research proves that outdoor green spaces are good for mental health. Those who spend time outdoors will find they have reduced stress, anxiety, and depression. On a Friday, consider hosting a special event like an outdoor field day. Set up a variety of team-building activities— like hula hoop contests, egg races, and water balloon tosses — to generate laughs and encourage physical movement.

8. Discuss Mental Health

Mental health discussions aren’t only reserved for therapy offices. When leadership asks questions beyond, “Hi, how are you?” it starts a different dialogue. Questions like, “How are you feeling today?” or “How have you been spending your time?” are great ways to open up windows to mental health discussions.

If you’re still feeling resistance from your employees to having open mental health discussions, share the Empower Work resource. It provides confidential and immediate support for work challenges via webchat or texting. Best of all, it’s free!

9. Share Screening Tools

Employees can’t get the appropriate professional help if they don’t know they have a problem. Consider sharing mental health screening tools via email, bulletin boards, and team meetings to actively promote mental health awareness. Mental Health America has a series of free mental health tests that can be taken confidentially.

10. Schedule an On-Site Yoga Day

Yoga not only stretches the body but can also stretch the mind. Consider bringing in a local yoga teacher for a class on deep breathing and yoga. Your employees will learn how to quiet their minds while also moving their bodies during this favoured wellness activity.

11. Have a Paint Party

Gather your team together for a relaxed, low-key event that also serves as a Mental Health Awareness Month activity. You can opt to host it on a Friday evening after work as a way to wrap up the workweek. Or, set up a designated paint “studio” where individuals can drop by any time during the week to relieve stress as they paint. This artistic activity doesn’t have to be just for serious artists, either. It’s a simple way to encourage employees to emotionally release stress. Share pamphlets during the event on ways to reduce stress and other worries in healthy ways.

12. Gratitude Challenge

A regular gratitude practise is shown to improve optimism and improve mood. Those who do it on a consistent basis tend to feel better overall. Ask your employees to take part in a gratitude challenge. This can be as simple as journaling about three things they’re grateful for each evening. Or, you can have a virtual or in-person bulletin board where individuals leave anonymous notes of what they’re grateful for.

Check out ways to cultivate gratitude in the workplace! 

13. Wellness Gift Exchange

A wellness gift exchange is a great opportunity to actively involve your employees in a wellness event. Ask your team members to purchase a small gift (under a certain dollar amount) that can help mental health. You can set it up like a Secret Santa gift exchange. Or, have individuals wrap the gifts without tags and place them on a table. Anyone who participates can stop by throughout a designated day to pick up their gift. Ideas for gifts may include stress balls, stress “play dough,” self-help books, a candle, a spa gift set, etc.

14. Create a Coloring Area

Colouring is a peaceful way to sit and observe thoughts quietly without judgment. Setting up a quiet area with colouring books, allows employees to escape for a break and practise mindfulness in a non-traditional way.

15. DIY Workshop

Crafting is shown to reduce depression and anxiety, and increase happiness. For fun and lighthearted Mental Health Awareness Month activity, consider hosting a series of DIY workshops. Anything from making soap and bath bombs to wood carving or painting makes for a great team activity that also works wonders for mental health. Your employees can meet up at a local craft studio or your company can hire a local artisan to teach a workshop, depending on your budget.

16. Have a Massage Day

Massage is proven to reduce both physical and emotional stress, so why not host a massage day in the workplace? Local massage school students always need to clock hours to receive their certification and/or license. Call a local massage school to see if your company can host students for a massage day. Many have chairs they can set up outside, too, for proper social distancing. If you have a remote team, consider sending them gift vouchers to visit a local massage therapist for a stress-reducing activity.

17. Stop and Smell the Roses

Outdoor time is good for physical and emotional health, research shows. Consider planning a day to spend outside working on your company garden or a local community garden. Gardening is shown to elevate serotonin levels in the brain, which increases happiness overall.

Check out our post to Start a Community Garden with Your Employee Wellness Program! 

18. Giveaway Wellness Items

A fun Mental Health Awareness Month activity for employers and employees alike includes giveaways. Throughout the month, randomly surprise your employees with useful wellness items. When your employees take care of their well-being, their mental health benefits. Giveaway items like subscriptions to meditation apps, positive self-help books or magazines, or even a spa getaway, if your budget allows.

19. Host Well-Being Mondays

Help your team take charge of their workweek — and that “Case of the Mondays” — by seizing the day right off the bat. Whether your team is remote or in-house, offering self-help techniques can help improve morale and workplace attitudes. Topics to consider may include Stress management techniques, stress-relieving activities, confidence builders, energy boosters, and positive self-talk. 

20. Promote Random Acts of Kindness

Research shows that doing a kind act for another person is beneficial to mental health. Not only does it provide a momentary happiness boost to the person receiving it, but the person showing kindness also benefits. Showing kindness — whether it’s by helping out on a project or opening a door for someone — can boost optimistic feelings, confidence, and happiness. It may also have a domino effect that encourages others to show kindness, too.

Check out our World Kindness Day Activities for some ideas! 

21. Hold a Community Dance Party

Dancing is known to elevate not only mood but also heart rate. Both activities can improve overall health by lessening depression and the risk of other health issues. Consider hosting an outdoor community dance party at a local park for your team and community. Dancers can pay a donation with proceeds given to a local mental health organization. It’s also a way to boost social health, another mental health improvement opportunity!

Don’t Be Shy About Mental Health at Work

If you want your employees to be healthy, it’s important to remember that mental health is a part of their overall well-being.

Mental health includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being, meaning it impacts multiple areas of one’s life. It also impacts how individuals feel, thinks, act, and relate to others.

When mental health awareness is brought into the spotlight with lighthearted yet intentional activities, it can have a profound impact on your staff. This list is only a starting point. Ask your staff how your company can better cover mental health in the workplace. Their responses are always the ones that will count the most.

Learn more about well-being and mental health on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

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