World Mental Health Day is October 10, 2024.
This October, we honor World Mental Health Day. October 10th is the day set aside annually to reflect on mental health, and how we can support it to shine and thrive all over the world. This year’s theme is “It is Time To Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace”. It sure is, isn’t it?
What is World Mental Health Day?
World Mental Health Day is an awareness campaign intended to raise consciousness and educate about mental health topics around the globe. Its goal is partly to help share stories and experiences of people with mental health struggles, and to reduce stigma and isolation through creating conversations and making connections.
The day is also intended to help share ideas and solutions for how to live with more mental health on the whole, as a collective – something we can all continue to work on, as the madness of the world plainly shows!
The day is also purposed to help raise the standard of care applied to those with serious and chronic mental health conditions, the people most affected by the field of mental health.
What is the history of World Mental Health Day?
World Mental Health Day was established in 1992 by the World Federation of Mental Health. Led by then-deputy secretary general Richard Hunter, the purpose of the day of awareness and action was to advocate for mental health, globally.
In recognition of substandard treatment of those with mental health struggles in some portions of the world, as well as a global level of mental health crisis affecting humanity, plus widespread ignorance about mental health issues, the idea was to focus on the topic and bring solutions to the fore.
For the first few years after its founding, World Mental Health Day was honored by way of a multinational broadcast sharing information and messages related to mental health advocacy. Starting in 1994, World Mental Health Day had annual themes. The first theme was “Improving the Quality of Mental Health Services throughout the World”.
Over the years, more and more countries have participated through advocacy related events and action plans. It is in large part a result of efforts related to World Mental Health Day that understanding and acceptance of mental health concerns has grown around the world.
What are some FAQ’s about World Mental Health Day?
Here are some questions that people commonly have about mental health.
What causes mental illness?
Mental illness is currently believed to be partly biological or genetic in origin, and partly caused by life circumstances and experiences. In particular, the role of trauma – not only from singular shocking experiences but also from more chronic conditions like neglect and abuse – in creating mental health disorders later on in life is receiving more and more attention.
Poor nutrition from the modern American diet, the stress of poverty and living in polluted areas, and exposure to environmental toxins through agricultural practices and other use of chemicals to manufacture products we use daily, is also being studied as a possible factor in mental health conditions.
How do I know if I have a mental illness?
Consult a professional. It is fine to do preliminary research on your own, of course, but we do suggest that you be mindful that many symptoms of mental illness are relatable to all. We all experience some problems focusing our attention, some mood struggles, and chronic tension, for example.
However, when your thoughts, feelings, and struggles to stay balanced represent a serious disruption to your life, (including your ability to make a living for yourself and have relationships with others) something may be out of balance, which could be addressed holistically and/or clinically.
It can be very helpful to be given a diagnostic name for your particular kind of struggles, such as Major Depression or Generalized Anxiety Disorder, as long as you don’t overidentify with the diagnosis and take it to define you totally.
How can I help someone who has a mental illness?
Follow the golden rule of “how do I like to be treated?” Most people would like to be treated the same as everyone else, and not to be marginalized or made out to be overly fragile or different.
You cannot lose when you apply empathy, curiosity, and show willingness to learn more about what a person is experiencing, without applying judgment or attempting to fix them.
It’s generally best not to give advice or to tell someone to look on the bright side, or that everything will be ok, as this tends to give the message that we are not comfortable with their suffering. Connect, engage, and show that you have no need to judge someone, and the person will most likely feel safe to tell you more about what it’s like to be them.
How to observe World Mental Health Day?
The best way to observe World Mental Health Day is to do our best to have good mental health ourselves. Once our own mental health is relatively secure, we can speak and share more with others about what it takes to have healthy thoughts, emotions and bodies. Here are three things we can try, this year, as a part of celebrating World Mental Health:
1. Double Your Self Care
This year, see what you can do to strengthen your own self care practices. Can you eat cleaner, exercise more, spend more time outside? Can you turn off your phone, clean your clutter, or take an art class? With whom in your life can you connect, heart to heart? With whom can you play or laugh? What is that makes you feel balanced, centered, whole, alive, and heart-awakened? Do that, more!
2. Practice Boundaries
Mental Health thrives in an environment of healthy interpersonal boundaries. This year, what can you do to strengthen the lines that helpfully differentiate you from another? Where can you say no more? Where can you allow yourself to stop taking responsibility for another, but instead take more responsibility for you? Boundaries are the golden ticket to mental health.
3. Practice Self-Responsible Communication
Mental Health does best in an environment of kind observation of the mind and emotions, rather than acting out our impulses and behaviors without knowing our motivation. This year, practice self-observation through meditation or journaling, then practice communicating your truth to another! How can you talk about what you need, what you want, and what you’re feeling as a result of those wants and needs? To learn more about communicating cleanly, dig into non-violent communication.
Why is World Mental Health Day important?
Although a lot of progress has been made in raising awareness about mental health epidemics we are facing, collectively, we are still a long way off from being healthy and happy in our species at large.
It is important to continue to cultivate compassion and create spaces of dialogue around the variety of human experiences, what is different about us and perhaps even more importantly, what we have in common.
We all want to be free and sufficiently supported to live life in the way that we personally would define as “happiness”. How can we ensure that right for every single member of the human race, whether we personally approve of their choices or not?
How might we improve our ability to include, to embrace, to recognize our own self in the other? What will it take to stop marginalizing, splitting, and dividing into groups that turn on each other?
These are questions to ponder, that will help lead us to the unity of heart and spirit that is necessary to grow past mental illness and into health and happiness as a collective.
Villa Kali Ma Supports World Mental Health Day
As a holistic mental health care provider dedicated to serving women, Villa Kali Ma supports World Mental Health Day fully. We encourage everyone to participate in whatever way speaks to them, to spread awareness and raise consciousness. For us, this year we carry on walking the long, meaningful road towards total health in the minds, bodies and spirits of women everywhere.
