Mental Health Awareness Month
The month of October has been declared Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, how we feel, and how we act. It determines how we handle stress, how we relate to others, and how we make healthy choices. It influences the way that we function from day to day. Mental health is just as important as physical health – and in some aspects, even more important because you can’t keep up your physical health without a healthy mental capacity.
It can be very difficult for us to acknowledge that we need help with our mental health or that we need treatment for a mental health disorder. It’s harder to “see” when someone is struggling with a mental health disorder and often people hide what’s really happening inside by making sure they appear “okay” on the outside. Raising awareness helps us to understand our own symptoms, find professional treatment, and also break the mental health stigma that leaves so many suffering in silence.
Mental health awareness is growing but is not quite where it should and could be. This month let’s work on acknowledging when we are not okay and encourage others to do the same. Let’s learn about mental health. Let’s help others see that it is courageous to seek help. With increased awareness about mental health comes early intervention, reduced misperceptions, and increased access to support that are key to minimising the impact of mental health disorders.
Mental Health Awareness Month kicks off just as we take a break and go on school holiday. A good time to reset and consider how you take care of your mental health. Take a look at some ways you can integrate mental health into your daily life below:
(Infographic from BelievePerform, Twitter: @BelievePHQ)
On October 10th 2021, it is World Mental Health Day. This year’s theme is Mental Health in an Uneven World. The Covid-19 pandemic has thrown us into a global crisis and had a major impact on our normal lives. While the talk around Covid-19 has been mostly focused on the physical toll (which it certainly has taken), we as a society are also experiencing a collective attack on our mental health. Some groups, including health and other frontline workers, students, and people with pre-existing mental health conditions have been particularly affected. Moreover, mental health services have been significantly disrupted. While this sounds bleak, there is cause for optimism as mental health is started to get attention with governments around the world recognising the need for improved services and working on innovative ways for their populations to access services.
There are a number of activities that we can do to help us take care of our mental health. Physical activity is a proven way of reducing stress and preventing the development of mental health problems. So, on 10 October 2021, we’ll be moving for mental health! Join us in wearing something green to show our support for mental health and walking/running/skipping/swimming/jumping 5km. Make sure to take a selfie and share it with us!
#CollegeCares #MoveforMentalHealth
Keep a look out for information coming soon on the Green Ribbon initiative that will be running for the month of October. #PinItForMentalHealth