Thursday is the first Mental Health Action Day.
You may see messages from brands, nonprofits, and cultural leaders encouraging all of us to take the first steps in getting support for our mental health.
“Through the pandemic, economic and political uncertainties, continuing fight for racial justice that now more than ever felt like the time to bring people together to shift our culture from mental health awareness to mental health action,” said Erika Soto Lamb with the MTV Entertainment Group.
The Mental Health Action Day is putting particular emphasis on younger people, their parents, and marginalized and LGBTQ+ communities.
“It can mean checking in with yourself or committing to trying self-calming exercises, like box breathing or meditation. It can also mean taking the time to find a therapist if that's right for you. It can mean checking in with a loved one,” said Lamb.
Organizers say at the heart of this day is helping people see mental health is part of our overall health.
“In our culture, we've had so much focus on physical health, but it's now time to think about our emotional well-being as a part of that,” said Lamb.
You can find mental health resources on this website. The national suicide prevention lifeline is also available 24/7 at 800-273-8255.
