From World Mental Health Day to Stress Awareness Week, there are so many ways that we can celebrate well-being and mental health throughout the year.
However, even for us at The Lily-Jo Project, keeping track of all the various days and campaigns can be quite a challenge!
That’s why we’d love to share with you our FREE mental health awareness day calendar that our team uses on a daily basis.
This calendar is perfect for:
- Those passionate about supporting mental health causes.
- Teachers and youth workers interested in celebrating mental health awareness days with students.
- Business owners and managers interested in raising awareness about mental health topics with their teams.
- Fellow mental health organisations and nonprofits looking to lift up mental health causes throughout the year.
You can download your FREE mental health awareness day calendar here. Or, order an A3 size poster from our shop.
Getting the Most Out of Your Mental Health Awareness Day Calendar
Now that you’ve downloaded your calendar, the next step is to get planning! Here are a few practical tips for how to get the most out of your calendar in your classroom or place of work.
Don’t feel pressured to celebrate every mental health awareness day.
You don’t have to have something planned for every awareness day – it’s just not realistic!
Instead, choose a few days on your calendar that you are really passionate about and try to make the most out of them.
For example, World Sleep Day and the International Day of Happiness always take place around the same time in March. Instead of trying to incorporate both messages in your planned activities, be deliberate and celebrate the one that you feel would benefit your organisation the most.
This ensures that you’re not overwhelmed with planning, and your participants are given the opportunity to really benefit from one impactful mental health message.
Use campaign websites to help you plan ahead.
You do not have to become a mental health expert overnight, and you certainly do not have to come up with your own mental health curriculum or advice to celebrate an awareness day!
All of the days in our awareness calendar are backed up with real campaign websites that are packed with ready-to-use resources.
We recommend checking out the campaign website several weeks ahead of time to get a feel for what resources are available. You’ll likely find anything from downloadable worksheets, presentation slides, videos, and helpful guides with talking points.
Establish good safeguarding and follow-up processes.
Sometimes mental health themes can be heavy. And you may find that some of your participants are emotionally affected after being exposed to certain mental health topics.
Whether you’re an educator, manager, or HR professional, it’s important to have an ‘action plan’ with resources and contacts that participants can turn to if they need to talk to someone.
If you are a teacher, make sure students know how to contact their counsellor or safeguarding officer at your school. If you are a manager, make sure that participants have access to local mental health hotlines or text messaging services. Our own online self-help resource, www.thelilyjoproject.com/#help, is also a great link to share for further information and support.
Allow yourself time to reflect and absorb the information for yourself.
Again, mental health topics can be heavy. Topics like anxiety, eating disorders, and suicide might be triggering for you as the host of an event – and that’s okay!
Even if you do not consider yourself as someone who struggles with mental health, we recommend giving yourself some space to really process and sit with some of the mental health messages you may encounter in your planning. You never know what information you may find that can have a positive impact on your own well-being.
By staying open to the messages for yourself, you will have the ability to discuss the topics with your participants from a place of authenticity.
More About The Lily-Jo Project
If you’re unfamiliar with our work here at The Lily-Jo Project, here is a bit more information about what we do and how we work in the mental health sector!
The Lily-Jo Project is devoted to eliminating the stigma surrounding mental health through music, digital resources, and community engagement.
We firmly believe that when exposed to the basic principles of mental health from an early age, kids are empowered to:
- Be proactive about maintaining good mental health into adulthood
- Ultimately reach their full potential and achieve their dreams!
Currently, we offer the following services to our community.
Self-help resource
A self-help resource packed with top tips, tools, and advice for how to look after your mental health.
Online curriculum
An online learning platform with over a year’s worth of curriculum for young people ages 4 to 18 – suitable for use in schools and after-school clubs.
Live workshops and assemblies
Live mental health assemblies, workshops, and gigs in schools, churches, and community centres worldwide. Please download our School Information Pack for more information on pricing, workshop themes, and how to book.
Get Involved
Here are the best ways to get involved and stay updated with our work!
Share
If you’d like to share your mental health journey with us, we would love to hear from you! Give us a shout at admin@thelilyjoproject.com and we are happy to find a way to collaborate with you on a blog article, video, or podcast.
Donate
You can make a donation to support our continued work in schools and communities worldwide. For regular giving, please contact admin@thelilyjoproject.com.
Shop
We have a selection of merch items and books that are for sale in our online shop. All proceeds go towards our continued work in schools and communities worldwide.
Subscribe
Never miss an update by subscribing to our monthly newsletter and mailing list! You can subscribe here for the latest information and inspiration from The Lily-Jo Project.
You can also find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. We also have a dedicated parent/teacher support group on Facebook – you can request to join here.
About the Author: Shelby Hale
Shelby has been with The Lily-Jo Project since October of 2018, serving as the platform’s Content and Communications Manager. Having lived in four different countries throughout her young adulthood, Shelby is passionate about the positive impact new experiences can have on mental health.
When she’s not working with The Lily-Jo Project, she supports other projects through her creative agency, Hale Marketing and Communications. If you’d like to stay updated with Shelby’s story, you can find her on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
