Five ways you can celebrate mental health illness awareness week to increase awareness and advocacy.
Each year, during the first week of October (3-9), people and organizations celebrate Mental Illness Awareness Week by bringing awareness/raising awareness to mental illness.
I believe that mental health is important to discuss all year round, but I would like to use this dedicated week to highlight the importance of mental illness awareness, help fight discrimination against those living with a mental illness, and provide educational resources around mental illness and health.
Read on for five ways you can celebrate mental health illness awareness week to increase awareness and advocacy. And for those living with a mental illness, know that you are not alone.
Practice Empathy and Respect: Each year, millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental health condition. This means, you are likely encounter people in your daily life or in your family with a mental illness. You can help support the people in your life who may be struggling with a mental condition by knowing what to say (and what not to say). Check out these tips to lead conversations with respect and respect with those living with a mental illness.
Take a Mental Health Screen: Mental health encompasses our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It impacts how we think, experience emotion, and behave. Testing for mental health conditions should be as standard as a screening for any other health condition. Click here to take a mental health screening via Mental Health America and determine whether you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition.
Share Your Mental Health Story: Help normalize mental illness and help bring awareness to the diversity of those living with a mental illness, by sharing your personal connection to mental health on social media or a forum.
Build A Mental Health Routine Due to unique life events, particular genetics, and limited access to resources, developing a mental health routine is unsurprisingly complicated for many. However finding ways to self-soothe and decompress are critical to your mental health. Check out these six tips to help you build a strong mental health care routine.
Donate: Give the gift of money or time to show your support for those impacted by mental illness. It can be a monetary gift, volunteering, or sending love to a friend or family member living with a mental illness. Check out National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) or Mental Health America (MHA) for ways to get donate or volunteer.
What are ways you can help celebrate mental illness awareness this week and always?
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