World Mental Health Day 2022: Making Mental Health a Global Priority

World Mental Health Day is October 10. The 2022 World Mental Health Day theme is “Make Mental Health & Well-Being for All a Global Priority.” Founded in 1948 in London, the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) started an advocacy and awareness program in 1992 known as World Mental Health Day. The WFMH produces public education material that they make available to organizations around the globe. In 2021, the material was translated into eight languages in addition to English.

Per the World Health Organization (WHO), “Stigma and discrimination continue to be a barrier to social inclusion and access to the right care; importantly, we can all play our part in increasing awareness about which preventive mental health interventions work and World Mental Health Day is an opportunity to do that collectively. We envision a world in which mental health is valued, promoted and protected; where everyone has an equal opportunity to enjoy mental health and to exercise their human rights; and where everyone can access the mental health care they need.”

What is Mental Health?

Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to deal with stress, work productively, and contribute to society, among other things. Mental health impacts our emotional, psychological, physical, and social well-being. The way we think, feel, and act both socially and professionally has a direct correlation to our mental health. In addition to an improved state of well-being, investing in one’s mental health can help them realize their potential by increasing their ability to learn new skills.

What are Some Ways We Can Improve Mental Health?

• Meditation: According to the Mayo Clinic, meditation is a type of mind-body complementary medicine that is good for relaxation and stress reduction. Meditation can benefit your emotional well-being and your overall health by reducing anxiety and negative emotions, enhancing self-awareness, lengthening attention span, improving sleep, and producing many other benefits. There are multiple types of meditation and the best way to put it into practice is to get started. Do you have one minute today to practice meditation?
• Exercise such as Yoga: Taking care of your physical health can improve your mental health. According to Harvard Health Publishing, yoga brings mental benefits such as reduced anxiety and depression, and it can also make your brain work better! Psychology Today notes that yoga can improve your sleep, improve your mood, and reduce stress symptoms. Do you have five minutes to give yoga a try today? Here are 31 Yoga Poses for Beginners.

Take the time to invest in your mental health. The investment you make can take several forms and you can start with small changes. Meditate for one minute, spend five minutes trying yoga, do some quick breathing activities, take a 10-minute walk, or jot down a few things you are grateful for. Whatever you do, invest in yourself!