October is World Mental Health Month and Tuesday, 10 October is World Mental Health Day.

This year’s theme is “Mental Health is a Universal Human Right” and provides people with the opportunity to have courageous conversations, connect with others and to promote and improve mental health.

The World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) started this mental health awareness campaign in 1992 and World Mental Health Day has been celebrated yearly since.

But Mental Health Ireland has extended the campaign across the full month of October in order to further highlight and raise awareness of mental health challenges and thus World Mental Health Month was created.

“We want to celebrate communities across Ireland – how Irish people support one another, and all the small things we do every day to look after our own and each other’s mental health,” Mental Health Ireland CEO, Martin Rogan said.

“We also want to highlight the need for continuous investment to improve mental health awareness, services and access to support nationally.”

Ensuring mental health and wellbeing becomes a priority for everyone across the country is a key aim of World Mental Health Month, and Mental Health Ireland has created a suite of resources and events to help people to get involved.

We’ve outlined some of the ways you can get involved in World Mental Health Month (WMHM) below but further information is available on their website here.

5 ways to fundraise

If you want to raise money to support mental health but are unsure where to start, there are plenty of fundraising options available to you. A good rule of thumb if you are stuck for an idea is to think about what it is that makes you happy or you enjoy doing and see if you could turn that into a fundraising idea.

Shutterstock / KieferPix Shutterstock / KieferPix / KieferPix

But if you need some specific ideas, then visit Mental Health Ireland’s ‘5 ways to fundraise‘ page which outlines some options like hosting a coffee morning, getting active with a challenge or taking up a new hobby. Not only are these great ways to fundraise, but they can also help your own mental health and wellbeing.

Mental Health Ireland can provide fundraising materials for you as well as your own unique QR code to help you collect donations from family, friends and generous members of the public.

Support events in your area

There’s a month-long programme of events happening around Ireland as part of WMHM and range from events organised by Mental Health Ireland themselves to community organised events to raise awareness and funds for mental health difficulties.

Check out Mental Health Ireland’s website to search for events running near you throughout the month and get involved by attending or sharing the events on your social media pages. Anyone organising an event is also urged to contact Mental Health Ireland and let them know.

In-person events organised by Mental Health Ireland will also run during October, with a celebration of mental health associations and volunteers taking place in Galway on 18 October. 

Host a connect café

A connect café is like a coffee morning with a little more structure. It can be in your home, in your workplace, or after a sports event. Their goal is to open conversations, strengthening the connection with ourselves, with others and with our communities.

To run a Connect Café you just need people, topics to start a conversation and/or some questions. It can be a face-to-face or virtual event, and can be as simple or as complicated as you like.

Mental Health Ireland has created a toolkit to help you host your own connect café during WMHM.

Actively listen

There’s no right or wrong way to get involved in WMHM. We can all contribute in different ways, such as being a willing and active listener to a friend who is having a mental health challenge.

Shutterstock / Elena Makovei Shutterstock / Elena Makovei / Elena Makovei

Listening attentively reduces the feeling of pressure and judgment, while also making the person we’re trying to support feel more deeply understood and cared for. Active listening improves feelings of closeness and trust between people, and creates a more comfortable environment for the other person to express what’s really bothering them.

There are five steps to active listening.

1. Good eye contact, but don’t stare.
2. Give attention to the person who is speaking. Minimise distraction.
3. Use little words like ‘mm’, ‘ah ha’ or ‘okay’ to show that you have heard what is being said/encourage the speaker.
4. Ask questions.
5. Summarise what you have heard.

Looking after your own wellbeing

Mental health difficulties do not discriminate and they can affect anyone regardless of their circumstances. That’s why looking after your own wellbeing is so important.

Wellbeing is feeling good about yourself, the world around you and functioning well in everyday life, most of the time. Being resilient and coping with the normal stresses of life is also an important attribute of wellbeing. So how can you look after your wellbeing?

Connect
Make time each day to connect with the people around you. With family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. At home, work, school or in your local community. By staying connected and nurturing these relationships we feel happier and more secure, giving us a better sense of purpose.

Be Active
Look for ways to be active everyday. Go for a walk or a run. Step outside. Cycle, play a game, garden or dance. Discover a physical activity you enjoy which suits your lifestyle and level of mobility and fitness. Research has shown being physically active can improve your mental health and wellbeing.

Take Notice
Be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling. Be curious. Catch sight of the beautiful. Notice the changing seasons. Savour the moment whether you are walking to work, eating lunch or talking to friends. Pay attention to the present moment – to your thoughts, feelings and to the world around you.

Keep Learning
Try something new. Rediscover an old interest. Sign up for that course. Cook a new recipe. Take on a new responsibility. Setting yourself a new challenge and learning a new skill will increase your confidence which can improve your mental health and wellbeing.

Shutterstock / evrymmnt Shutterstock / evrymmnt / evrymmnt

Give
Giving to others is good for you. Why not do something nice for someone else? Thank someone. Volunteer your time or join a community group. Seeing yourself and your happiness linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and create connectedness with the people around you.

Find more information about looking after your wellbeing here.

World Mental Health Month takes place this October as part a month-long programme of events by Mental Health Ireland to raise awareness of mental health challenges. Find out more about how you can get involved here.