How You Can Make A Difference On World Mental Health Day (October 10th)

World Mental Health Day is on October 10. It’s a day that means a lot to me as someone that has struggled with a mental illness for almost half my life. This was first observed in 1992 as an initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health with the mission to “to promote mental health advocacy and public education worldwide.” 

Each year it’s gotten bigger and bigger as we all fight to get rid of the stigma that surrounds mental health. We’ve made great progress, but there is always more to be done.

You may be thinking “I’m just one person, how can I make an impact?” That is where I’m here to help you today. In this post I’m sharing ways that you can make a difference on October 10 and beyond.

How You Can Make A Difference On World Mental Health Day

There are a plethora of ways that you can make a difference on World Mental Health Day. This list ranges from the small actions you can take any day, to the bigger and more involved ideas like creating a fundraiser. Each one is just as important as the other when it comes to mental health advocacy. Let’s get into the list.

1) Share Your Story

If you know me personally, you know that I take this first action to heart. There are no shortage of times where I’ve shared my mental health struggles and triumphs in a social media post, or an article like this one.

If you aren’t comfortable sharing your story on a large scale like that, no worries. Even if you share your struggles with a loved one, a neighbor, or a stranger, you are still making a difference. 

2) Support Businesses/Nonprofits That Make An Impact In Mental Health Awareness

There are many businesses that either support mental health initiatives, or base their organization around them. I’d recommend doing your research to see where the proceeds go and what impact they have  had. Some of my favorite organizations are:

• To Write Love On Her Arms
• Rare Beauty
• Active Minds
• Therabox
• Philosophy
• Little Words Project
• Stay Another Day

If there are small businesses that you love to support that don’t currently have/support mental health initiatives, it’s worth talking to the owner about. Maybe you can share some ideas, or inspire them to create a future event or partnership.

3) Go To A Fundraiser Or Walk (Or Think About Creating An Event)

Take a look at your town/city, or ones close by, to see if there are any awareness events going on for World Mental Health Day on October 10.  It can be a walk/run, workshop, or some other event. If there is nothing happening, consider collaborating with other members of your community to plan an event.

4) Do Your Research And Be An Advocate

If you are not familiar with mental health resources, support, or mental illness in general, October 10 is a great day to become informed. The Mental Health Coalition, National Alliance On Mental Illness, and Mental Health America are great resources to check out.

Once you’ve become informed, pass the knowledge on. That is a major way to put a stop to the mental health stigma. The more talk and discussion, the better.

5) Small Actions Make A Big Difference

I am proof that small actions make a big difference.when it comes to mental health. There have been so many times where I’ve been at my lowest of lows and a simple post that someone shared on social media boosted my mood or made me feel less alone.

Sharing inspirational posts/quotes/songs is just one small action that can make a difference. Here are some others you can do any time, but especially on World Mental Health Day.

6) Use Your Strengths To Support Mental Health Advocacy

There are many unique ways to help support mental health initiatives. Think of your strengths and do some brainstorming to see what you can come up with. You may be surprised with what you are able to do. Here are some ideas to get you started.

• If you own a business that sells self care items, consider doing a self-care event or workshop. You can charge a small event fee, with the proceeds going to mental health advocacy. Another idea would be to share mental health resources at the event.
• If you are a teacher consider creating a lesson plan around teaching your students about mental health.
• Do you have a book club? Choose a book this October that has strong mental health themes that will provide great discussion at your meeting.
• You could also use any creative skills you have to raise awareness. If you are a writer, craft a blog post that features mental health resources. If you are a content creator, create some viral mental health awareness content that is sharable and informative. You get the picture.

7) Show Up For Your People

You can do a world of good by being attentive to those in your circle. If you see someone is struggling, help them not feel so alone. A great time to start is on World Mental Health Day but you can do this anytime.

This could look like spending more time with them, offering a listening ear, helping ease their load, and getting them connected to help when they need it. Anything, within your means, you can do to uplift their spirit, do that.

8) Show Up For Yourself

This may be one of the overlooked tips, but it’s arguably one of the most important. You can’t pour from an empty cup. You can have the best intentions and want to do everything on this list, but it won’t happen if you aren’t taking care of yourself first.

So on October 10, and every day after, check-in with yourself. Are you feeling burnt out, needing some “me-time”, or maybe need to seek out some help? If you said yes to any of the above, focus on that first.

Final Thoughts on How to Make a Difference on Mental Health Day

As you can see there are a variety of ways to be active and support World Mental Health Day on October 10. The question is, which one(s) will you do?

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