17 Ideas For Mental Health Awareness Month Activities In Your Workplace

The United States celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month in May since 1949.

Mental Health Awareness Month attempts to decrease the stigma associated with mental diseases. It will also build stronger and more empathetic relationships among your employees.
Some of your employees might even find a comforting and safe space in your workplace. It will take much of pleasant space for everyone.

NAMI, joined a national initiative to improve mental health awareness.

It took the initiative to battle stigma, offer help, educate the public, and lobby for policies. It did so with the primary aim of helping people with mental illnesses.

In 2022, NAMI aims to emphasize the message "Together for Mental Health" during this month.

Mental Health And Its Significance

Your mental health is crucial to your wellbeing. Let's first understand what Mental health is and what significance it has in our life.

"Our mental health includes our psychological, emotional, and social wellbeing. It influences how we think, feel, and act. It also affects how we deal with stress and interact with others, and make wise judgments. Mental health is important at any age, particularly children, adolescence, and maturity."

People are concerned about their mental health. It has an influence on many aspects of their lives.
Mental health refers to a feeling of wellbeing in which a person can cope with daily problems. It allows them to do creative work and contribute to society.

But, there are many factors that might impair one's capacity to deal with life's events.

These factors may also affect daily activities and the ability to cope with changes.

As a result, failing to care for your mental health can have negative consequences such as

• increased stress

• lowered mood

• low self-esteem

The factors listed below may impact a person's mental health -.

• Biological factors: Genetics plays a big role.

• Life events: Trauma or abuse in your lifetime; childhood trauma or other issues.

• Medical history in the family.

Mental health issues are frequent, but there is help. All we need is to create awareness and be empathetic towards others.

Reasons to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month.

Feeling appreciated, connected, and safe, create a sense of mental well-being at work. We celebrate Mental Health Month to reach out and let people know that they are important.

1. It's a day dedicated to mental wellness.

One can enjoy life to the fullest when he/she appreciates life and its beauty and take care of themselves.
Don't be scared to talk about what's upsetting you since, contrary to popular belief; it may not be your fault.

2. It's a month to celebrate Us.

We, humans, are a collection of meticulously assembled details. Our minds (and bodies) work together in sync. This helps us achieve incredible accomplishments in technology, literature, business, and other fields.
By protecting our mental strength, we can ensure a brighter future for our children.

3. It's a celebration of shifting perspectives.

We've come a long way since people viewed mental health patients as outcasts. The times have changed, and people are now more accepting of mental diseases. But, we still have a long way to go.

17 Brilliant Ideas For Mental Health Awareness Month

Here are some activities that you can try in your workplace and benefit your employees.

1. Organize a 'Wellbeing Day' With A Variety Of Resources For All Employees

You can organize this annually, where you can set up a place for everyone to gather. You can hire professionals to provide wellness services to your employees. Yoga classes, Diet and mental health counseling can benefit your employees greatly.

2. Make Room For Escape

When it comes to mental health, the work environment plays a big role.
Consider creating an escape room for employees that your employees will love.

You don't have to label it as a 'mental health space". It can be a pleasant room or area with decor and items that help employees relax and unwind. You can include items like sofas, magazines, indoor plants, and meditation cushions.

Reflection and meditation are excellent exercises for Mental Health Awareness Month. They offer tranquility in only a few minutes. This room should be accessible throughout the year.

3. Take Out Your Team For Lunch And Learn About Their Mental Health

Going to a team Lunch and learn is an excellent approach to capture your employees' attention. It can enhance employee experience and keep the work atmosphere light and relaxed.

During Lunch, select a topic on Mental health. It is a broad topic with various issues and narrows it down to a more focused point. Stress management tips, workplace drug abuse, and body image issues at work are a few examples.

Ask your co-workers for their valuable feedback. It's useful to know what your staff thinks, whether you plan to make this a regular event or not. Make sure you give them an anonymous option to provide feedback so they can be completely honest.

4. Host Mindful Mondays

It is critical to begin work with a focused mind. It boosts workplace efficiency, performance, and engagement. It maintains you physically and mentally. It allows you to deal with even difficult situations.

You can help your staff take charge of their workweek by seizing the day right away.

You and your team should take a few moments to focus on yourselves before getting back to work. You can do this by engaging in various activities to rekindle ideas and perceptions.

A Mindful Monday can help you stay cheerful and focused throughout the week. It will assist you in valuing and prioritizing your work objectives. Also, it will help raise awareness of mental and physical wellness at your workplace.

5. Make A Creative Corner To De-stress

Pick a wall and cover it with brilliant ideas from your workers, customers, and vendors. The workers' ambitions for the organization are shared in each suggestion.

Workplace bulletin boards or even walls don't have to be boring. You can turn them into a "Let's create art with your imagination" corner. Decorating your hallway bulletins can be an entertaining Mental Health Awareness Month activity.

• You can have a wall where everyone can draw or scribble.

• You may ask questions that need employees to write their responses on the whiteboard. "What are you grateful for today?" is an example of a question.

• You may use boards to promote mental health awareness and motivational quotes.

6. Talk To Your Employees About Their Mental health

Discussions on mental health aren't limited to the confines of a therapy office. You can start a conversation with "How are you feeling today" or "What do you do in your free time?" are excellent ways to start a conversation instead of "Hello, how are you?"

Having conversations with co-workers can help them feel better and lighten their moods.

7. Share Tools To Screen Their Mental health Confidentially

If employees are unaware that they have a problem, they will not be able to seek expert help. To encourage mental health awareness, consider providing mental health screening tools. Email, bulletin boards, and team meetings can help you do so. Mental Health America, offers several private and free mental health exams.

8. Hold An Event To Exchange Wellness Gifts

A wellness gift exchange event is a terrific way to get your staff involved in a wellness event. Ask each member of your team to buy a little present within a budget that will benefit mental health.

It is somewhat like Secret Santa. Have employees wrap the presents and arrange them on a table without tags.

Anyone who participates in the contest may pick up their prize on a specific day. Stress balls, small plants, self-help books, and exotic teas are great prizes.

9. Organize A Stress Management Workshop

Increased workplace stress can lead to chronic health problems if left untreated. It may cause headaches, insomnia, hypertension, etc.

This month, have your benefits director hold a stress-relieving activity session. A workshop on stress reduction or workplace positivity can help your employees greatly. Such workshops can help employees reframe everyday interactions and enhance workplace mental health.

Knowing that there are healthy methods to deal with stress will help your employees!

10. Organize A Yoga Day At Work

Yoga will help you extend your thoughts as well as your body. You might hire a local yoga instructor to offer a deep breathing and yoga lesson for the employees. Yoga can help people to calm their thoughts while simultaneously moving their bodies.

11. Have A Furry Or A Purry Day At Work

Having a pet at the office will reduce half of their stress if you aren't allergic or scared. Spending time with your furry friend will relieve stress and anxiety. And it will create a happy environment at work. After all, animals are wonderful stress relievers.

12. Have A Day Of Outdoor Events

Spending time outdoors can reduce stress, anxiety, and sadness. Taking a stroll in the park or spending outdoor time with family and friends can uplift you if you are feeling low.

So why not have a special event, such as an outdoor field day, on a Friday? Set up a range of team-building games to get people laughing and moving. Some great ideas are hula hoop contests, egg races, and water balloon throws.

13. Pull The Inner Picasso Out Of Your Employees

Coloring is a soothing pastime that can help people of all ages. It allows one to sit quietly and contemplate your ideas without fear of being criticized.

Set up a quiet place with coloring books that will allow employees to relax their minds.

14. DIY Day

Crafting has been proved to help with despair, anxiety, and happiness.

suggested Read: The Surprising Mental Health Benefits of DIY Gifts

Consider holding DIY workshops as fun and lighthearted Mental Health Awareness Month activities. Making soap and bath bombs is a terrific team activity that benefits mental health.

If your budget allows, your staff can gather at a local craft studio. Or maybe your organization can engage a local artisan to lead a course.

15. Practising Gratitude

It's been proven that practicing gratitude daily boosts positivity and improves mood. Those who practice it regularly report feeling better in general. Request that your staff participates in a thankfulness challenge.

This may be as basic as writing down one thing they're grateful for each evening in the creative wall. You might even set up a virtual or in-person bulletin board. Such a board will allow people to anonymously post what they're grateful for.

16. Donate or Volunteer

There are dozens of organizations dedicated to mental health promotion. Consider donating to one of them this month. You might also see if any local groups can enjoy your resources or time. Domestic abuse shelters frequently need household goods.

Volunteers are needed to answer crisis hotlines at some clinics. You can donate and ask your co-workers to do the same. It's also a means to enhance social health and improve mental health!

17. Host A Community Dance Party

Everyone knows that dancing improves mood and is a great physical exercise. It can help you feel better by lowering your chances of depression and other health problems.

Consider throwing an outdoor community dance celebration for your team. Ask everybody to dance their heart out as it will help reduce stress.

Help Desk:

Don't shy away to ask for help. These are some of the lines and websites where you can go and ask for help; remember, "you are not alone."

Call on 1-800-273-TALK (8255) OR TEXT 'MHA' to 741741.

You might want to visit these websites for more information:

• Mental Health America

• Suicide Crisis Lines

• Suicide Prevention Lines

"Don't be hard on yourself; you will shine again."

Mental Health Discussions Are Not Taboo Anymore; speak up and be aware!

Mental health is an element of total wellbeing for everyone. If you want your employees to be productive and have fun at work, you must ensure that they are healthy.

Mental health impacts many aspects of a person's life. It impacts how they feel, think, act, and interact with others.

Help employees by bringing mental health awareness to the forefront through fun events.

This is only the first step for you. Ask employees for feedback on addressing mental wellness in the workplace. Their replies will always be the most significant.