28 Activities To Celebrate World Mental Health Day (2023)

Mental Health Day

October 10th is World Mental Health Day! This international day of awareness and action has been recognized since 1992, as mental health activists and practitioners across the world work to spread the word that mental health is something everyone should care about. In some countries, this day is a part of a week-long mental health event. 

The day was initially created by the World Federation of Mental Health, a 70+-year-old organization that supports mental health awareness and support in more than 90 countries,

With events, screenings, activities, and more, World Mental Health Day is a catalyst for us to learn more, seek help, offer support, and open our hearts and minds to vulnerable conversations.

How To Celebrate World Mental Health Day

We’ve compiled some ideas for how you can honor World Mental Health Day on your own, or in community with those you love. 

We know that this time can also bring up some big feelings, so feel free to take what resonates, and leave what doesn’t! Just know: everything will be okay.  

Ideas For Activities

Attend an event in support of World Mental Health Day.

A great way to spread awareness about mental health is by engaging in events in your community or online to learn more and connect with others who are willing to share their experiences with mental health conditions. 

Events are being held around the world and the World Federation For Mental Health is compiling them on its website

You can even host your own event, gathering friends and community members to reach out to elected officials, lead a fundraiser, organize a walk or run, or include a local mental health professional in a forum or Q&A.

Get certified in mental health first aid.

If you’re looking for the tools to directly help others in times of crisis, you should consider getting certified in a mental health first aid course. 

Mental Health First Aid offers in-person courses around the world, led by two certified instructors. Participants will learn how to help someone experiencing a mental health crisis by identifying, understanding, and responding to signs of addiction or mental health conditions.

If you’re looking for a digital certification, the Born This Way Foundation and Jack.org have created the Be There Certificate, which teaches participants how to recognize when someone might be struggling with their mental health and how to safely support them while maintaining one’s own mental health. 

The course is free of charge and has six interactive lessons that can be accessed at any time. It is also offered in English, French, and Spanish. 

Share your story.

Part of spreading awareness means sharing your story and your experiences in a safe way. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) encourages folks to share their experiences with mental health to be shared on their website or social media channels. 

Additionally, This Is My Brave is an organization that uses storytelling to save lives. Folks can access hundreds of stories on their website, or submit their own stories to connect to a community dedicated to bringing painful, dark stories about mental illness and addiction to light.  

Volunteer or donate.

Use your time, talents, or financial means to support a mental health organization! It’s easy to make a difference. Whether you want to donate to a national nonprofit or support a community member affected by mental illness through a mutual aid fund, your assistance can make a difference. 

You can even sign up as a volunteer at a crisis hotline or text line.

Read and share quotes about mental health.

Sometimes wee the right words to say… but someone else does. Fortunately, we’ve curated the best quotes about mental health in a variety of articles:

Get a mental health tattoo.

We’ll admit that this one is a bit more wild. If you’ve always thought about getting a tattoo, there’s no time like the present. A mental health tattoo can honor your ability to overcome and offer a reminder to yourself and others that hope is real.

Explore our curated collection of mental health tattoo ideas.

Contact your representatives to urge them to prioritize mental health.

You have the tools to urge your elected officials to make mental health a priority! Here are a few things you can do:

By Learning

Learn more about your own mental health.

Learning more about your own mental health can be one of the most empowering things you can do for yourself. Do this by taking an online mental health screening. You can use this opportunity to seek professional help (in the form of therapy), journal about your findings, or connect with a loved one who may also have experience with a certain mental health condition.

Listen to mental health podcasts.

Podcasts aren’t the same as therapy or counseling, but they sure can help us feel seen and understood in new ways — especially when they’re made by brilliant professionals or folks with lived experiences. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite mental health podcasts for you to get a head start.

Subscribe to mental health newsletters.

Similar to mental health podcasts, mental health newsletters can be a great way to keep yourself surrounded with helpful, informative, and inspiring mental health-related content. We’ve curated a list of the best mental health newsletters for you to subscribe to.

Follow creators or bookmark resources sharing reliable information about mental health.

Like we said, TikTok therapy isn’t always the best form of mental health care, but creators, apps, and campaigns can be amazing at using the Internet for good. Trust us; we’ve found them! 

Shop around on social media to find reliable creators, or start with some awesome ADHD content creators, this art therapist TikToker, or these mental health apps that help Black Americans. 

Read books or articles about mental health.

We’re certain your local library has a wide array of resources for your mental health studies, but if you’re looking for some new approaches, here are a few learning opportunities for you to expand your mental health knowledge:

By Taking Care of Yourself

Create strong self-care practices.

Self-care is a big buzzword these days, but we encourage you to create strong, proactive self-care practices that give you the energy and space to thrive. (Plus, if you need some inspiration — we’ve compiled a collection of the best self-care quotes.)

Find a therapist.

A great therapist can help you gain valuable insights, provide support and guidance when you are facing challenges, help you confront and heal trauma, and give you the tools to create a life you love. You deserve to find your perfect fit! Good news: we created a comprehensive guide to finding a therapist

Try meditating.

Apps like Headspace, Calm, and Breethe make self-care activities like meditation easy and accessible. Give your meditation practice a go today and see what can happen when you expand your self-care toolkit. 

Celebrate good news.

Speaking of good news, the world is full of it! Take it from us, we’re a good news media company that literally makes a monthly print newspaper filled with good news. (And you should subscribe!)

When we fill our brains with reminders that there’s lots of good in the world, it helps us feel more hopeful about the future and encourages us to be a part of creating that better future.

Subscribe to a positive news email newsletter like ours, check out good news websites, more good news resources, and do everything possible to make sure you’re exposed to hopeful news stories on a regular basis.

And, lastly, when you’ve found good news — make sure you share it with others too! 

Here are a few positive news stories to get you started:

Read more mental health good news

Consume the news thoughtfully.

Although we’re big fans of finding the good, we know that the news can feel incredibly heavy at times. While it’s important to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in the world, (because the privilege of experiencing bad news through the news comes with the requirement that you use that privilege for good) you can still consume the news responsibly.

Choose who you get your news from thoughtfully. (Our podcast episodes with Sharon McMahon and the founder of Ground News dive into this topic.) We’ve also put together a guide on how to read the news with intentionality.

By Sharing Resources With Others

Share mental health resources.

Making mental health resources widely accessible makes it that much easier for even one person to get the help they need. When you’re sharing about mental health this on this day, be sure to make resources available. 

You can view our mental health resource guide here!

Be thoughtful about the information you share online.

That being said, if you choose to engage with mental health stories and resources online on this day, keep in mind that these topics can be heavy and triggering for others. Consider adding content warnings to your posts or encouraging others to do the same. 

Disability rights activist Liz Sparrow has a great beginner’s guide to trigger warnings to get you started. 

Wear your mental health on your sleeve. (Literally.)

You can help reduce stigma and communicate that you’re a safe person to talk to by wearing clothes that bring awareness to mental health. When you wear apparel with meaningful mental health messages, you’re sharing important words with strangers who made need to hear them. Plus, you might inspire an important conversation.

Check out our article that curated the best mental health shirts that also donate to mental health nonprofits.

At Work

If you’re an employer, host professional events and initiatives that support employee mental health.

Whether this is hosting a stress reduction workshop, implementing new time-off policies, welcoming a mental health speaker, or leading a company-wide discussion, you have the privilege and responsibility to make your work environment safe, inclusive, and filled with resources that support employee wellbeing. 

Check out Empower Work, a program that provides confidential support for work challenges. 

Empower Work is a nonprofit on a mission to build healthier, more equitable workplaces. They offer immediate, confidential support for work challenges through SMS or webchat with trained peer counselors. 

Use your platform or company to advocate for mental health.

Raise funds, release a product supporting mental health awareness, create a social media campaign, publish a blog post, or invest in new benefits that support your team and your community on (or beyond) World Mental Health Day. Whatever you do, we encourage you to use reliable research to make your offerings inclusive and equitable. 

Advocate for or use mental health days or paid time off.

Mental health days are an important tool for all workers to access time off when they need to, while also facilitating important conversations about mental health and burnout in the workplace. 

Perhaps October 10th is the opportunity for your company to roll out company-wide mental health days, or even more generous paid time-off offerings. By prioritizing time to rest, we can boost morale, redefine the modern workplace, and show people we care. 

At School

Offer resources and information to students.

Teachers and trusted adults are responsible for making sure that students know what mental health resources are available to them. This is a great time to initiate conversations about mental health or remind students how they can come to you for help. 

If your school doesn’t have a lot of resources or materials for these conversations, mentalhealth.gov has a great landing page for educators to help get the ball rolling. 

Support LGBTQ+ youth.

LGBTQ+ youth are at an increased risk for mental health conditions and suicide. In fact, The Trevor Project — an organization that works to prevent suicide in LGBTQ+ youth — found that LGBTQ+ youth who reported having at least one accepting adult were 40 percent less likely to report a suicide attempt in 2019. 

There are a number of ways to support LGBTQ+ youth inside and out of the classroom — we even have a comprehensive guide! In the meantime, consider doing the following:

Engage in a World Mental Health Day project at school.

Can you hand out lime green ribbons for mental health awareness? Is there a suitable movie or documentary viewing and discussion you can share with your students? What about celebrating your appreciation for school counselors or social workers during this time? 

Consider hosting a spirit day in your school to open the dialogue about mental health and engage with one another in a meaningful way. 

Host a Q&A with a mental health professional for parents and students.

School administration and counseling teams can host a forum for parents and students, offering expert insights into mental health.

Choose a topic and host a Q&A-style chat for parents with a clinician or representative from your local Department of Behavioral Health. This can also be done for students during the school day, all inviting participants to ask experts any questions they may have regarding mental health. 

Educators may consider creating a safe space for students to anonymously submit questions, to keep things well-organized and confidential. 

Get help if you need it.

All of these action items and activities are a great way to get you and your community involved in the conversation surrounding mental health. However, we know that when you’re struggling with your mental health, it can be hard to find the help, support, and community you need. 

If you are in immediate need of safety, please contact the following:

Emergency Medical Services
911

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
suicidepreventionlifeline.org
‍988

Crisis Text Line
Text CRISIS to 741-741
crisistextline.org

And if you are not in immediate crisis and would still like access to more resources, visit our list of Mental Health Resources for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions

What day is World Mental Health Day?

World Mental Health Day is held on October 10th every year. The annual event is celebrated by the World Federation for Mental Health, the World Health Organization, and dozens of other organizations.

What is the theme for World Mental Health Day 2023?

The theme of World Mental Health Day 2023 is “Mental health is a universal human right,” according to the World Health Organization. Past years have been themed around mental health in the workplace, suicide prevention, and young people.

What was the theme for World Mental Health Day 2022?

The theme of World Mental Health Day 2022 was “Make mental health & well-being for all a global priority,” according to the World Health Organization. Past years have been themed around mental health in the workplace, suicide prevention, and young people.

What was the theme for World Mental Health Day 2021?

The theme of World Mental Health Day 2021 was “Mental health care for all: let’s make it a reality,” according to the World Health Organization.

Is World Mental Health Day in October or May?

Mental Health Awareness Month takes place during the month of May. However, World Mental Health Day — National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month, as well as ADHD Awareness Month — are celebrated in the month of October. It can be easy to get them mixed up! 

What is the World Mental Health Day color?

Many nonprofits encourage advocates to wear the color purple in honor of mental health action. Some other organizations utilize green ribbons for World Mental Health Day.

What are the hashtags for World Mental Health Day 2023?

The World Health Organization recommends using the hashtag #WorldMentalHealthDay for your social media posts. You can also use #WMHD2023

October is also (part two of) Hispanic Heritage Month — and you can learn how to celebrate the annual event in our guide.

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September 22, 2022 2:26 PM
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