Ways To Celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month, Fight Stigma, And Reduce Stress

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, an annual observance that started in 1949. It’s dedicated to helping raise awareness through education about mental health conditions, their impact, and the importance of seeking help. So what are the best ways for an individual to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month? Here, we’ll outline some of the many actions you can take to increase awareness of mental health challenges in your community.

Why mental health awareness matters

Ways to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month: Educate yourself

To educate yourself about mental health, consider attending virtual or in person workshops or seminars. Such events often feature professionals, experts, or peer support groups discussing various mental health topics, from anxiety and depression to stress management and coping strategies. 

Watching videos or reading books by qualified professionals in the mental health field can also help you expand your knowledge. Reading firsthand accounts of life with a mental illness written by diverse individuals can as well.

Pay attention to how you communicate

When talking about mental health, be mindful of the language you use. Avoid stigmatizing terms like “crazy” or “psycho,” and avoid using clinical terms like “bipolar” or “narcissistic” colloquially to describe someone’s behavior. Listen actively and empathetically to others about their experiences. Offer encouragement and celebrate successes, no matter how small. 

Participate in wellness events during Mental Health Awareness Month

During May in particular, you might also look for opportunities to take part in or spread the word about Mental Health Awareness Month initiatives in your community. For example, you could attend a mental health screening hosted by a local organization. Such events can offer basic health checks to help individuals identify potential health concerns and promote early intervention. 

Another example is to consider attending a workshop on a topic such as mindfulness, meditation, or art therapy. These can provide practical tools and techniques for managing stress and promoting well-being. 

Volunteer or fundraise for mental health organizations

For those who’d like to donate their time, volunteering can be a powerful way to show support for mental health awareness. You might try contacting your local Mental Health America (MHA) or National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) affiliate for volunteer opportunities in your area. Reaching out to smaller, local organizations can be beneficial too.

The Crisis Text Line and local crisis hotlines often need volunteers too, as do many community mental health centers. You could also participate in events like NAMIWalks or host a bake sale, gala, concert, or other awareness event to raise money for local mental health initiatives. Some find it productive to organize a fundraising page through an online crowdsourcing platform or collaborate with local businesses to get them to donate a percentage of their sales for a designated time. 

Advocate for mental health awareness in your workplace or school

Mental health challenges often affect people in multiple major life areas, including their work or education. To advocate in your place of school or work, you might share verified educational materials or support awareness activities or initiatives that apply to a school or workplace environment. 

For example, in the workplace, you could advocate for policies that can support and improve mental health, such as a mental health first aid training program, employee assistance programs (EAPs), and policies promoting work-life balance. In schools, you could advocate for initiatives like mental health education programs and peer support groups. 

Use social media to help decrease mental health stigma

If you’re on social media, consider joining a positive mental health hashtag campaign to broaden impact. However, keep in mind that while social media can be an effective tool for promoting understanding and reducing stigma, it may also present drawbacks, such as potential for spreading misinformation. When sharing information about mental health, be sure to reference reputable sources (such as peer-reviewed research published by scientific organizations, educational institutions, or licensed professionals) and fact check before you repost. 

Reducing stigma by sharing personal experiences online 

If you feel comfortable doing so, you could also use your online presence to highlight your own mental health experiences. For example, you could consider using a blog or a video channel to talk about your own story and provide helpful mental health resources and facts.

Manage stress in healthy ways and take care of yourself 

Often, effectively supporting others means caring for your own physical, mental, and emotional well-being too. There are many self-care practices you may try to help you cultivate better overall mental health and well-being. Some might be more effective than others, and it might take time to find those best suited to your needs and preferences, but establishing healthy lifestyle habits can significantly impact your mental health and even the well-being of those around you. A few examples are listed below.

Care for your physical health as one of the ways to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month

Sleep, nutrition, and exercise are often referred to as the three pillars of health. Together, they can significantly impact overall physical and mental wellbeing. Some recommended practices to consider include:

• Aim to get seven to nine hours of quality sleep each night
• Incorporate nutrient-rich foods into your eating patterns as often as possible
• Avoid or limit alcohol consumption
• Avoid tobacco use

If you aren’t sure where to begin or have concerns about your physical health, consult your physician for tailored suggestions.

Spend time with people who support you

Research suggests that giving and receiving social support can provide significant mental health benefits, including but not limited to reduced symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression and improved self-esteem. Strong social connections can contribute to a sense of belonging and safety, which can help mitigate feelings of loneliness and isolation. Additionally, these connections may buffer against stress by providing a supportive environment and network for sharing struggles and finding healthy coping mechanisms.  

Do things that nourish and bring you joy

Regularly engaging in a beloved hobby or activity can help you cultivate joy, which may boost your mood and give you a sense of purpose. For example, do you like cooking, painting, gardening, or DIY projects? You could set aside dedicated time each week to engage in your hobby or look for a local group of fellow enthusiasts.

Additionally, studies suggest that spending time outdoors can be therapeutic, allowing one to connect with the natural world and oneself. Hiking, roller skating, biking, or strolling through the park are examples of outdoor hobbies you might explore.

Learn stress-relieving techniques

Mindfulness-based activities like meditation, breathing exercises, yoga, and tai chi can help you learn to manage stress and better cope with everyday challenges. Some people find progressive muscle relaxation exercises or guided imagery to be useful. You might also consider establishing a regular mindful morning or evening routine to help maintain mental well-being.

Cultivate your own mental health awareness 

It isn't always easy for a person to check in with how they’re doing mentally, and emotions can be easily confused in times of distress. Investigating when, why, and how our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact can offer valuable insights on balancing and managing mental health challenges. Some people find journaling to be an effective way to explore and process their thoughts and feelings. Others may enjoy deep self-reflection in nature. 

Care for your mental health in therapy

Mental health challenges like stress can feel overwhelming at times. When unmanaged, chronic stress may contribute to or exacerbate depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders. Therapy can be an invaluable tool for addressing such challenges. 

Despite its potential benefits, many people experience barriers to treatment that may keep them from seeking help. For example, limited therapist availability in their area or scheduling constraints may create obstacles. Alternatives like online therapy may help reduce or eliminate these barriers for many clients.

For example, BetterHelp will match each user with a mental health professional according to their needs and preferences. Once matched, clients can attend virtual sessions from the comfort of home on a schedule that works for them—and for a cost that’s lower than most in-person sessions without insurance. 

A growing body of research points to the potential effectiveness of online therapy—particularly internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). For example, one meta-analysis published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research reviewed data from 19 different studies, suggesting “evidence supporting the acceptability and effectiveness of guided iCBT for the treatment of depression and anxiety in routine care.”