Mental Health Month

ONGOING research on mental health is quite staggering.  Studies confirm that 1-in- five people will experience mental health issues during their life time.  Recently, many of us got involved with AYOK DAY (are you OK), a national initiative encouraging individuals, community groups and businesses to reach out to others.

However, there is another national day that is coming up – October is Mental Health Month in New South Wales, Victoria, and the ACT. Mental Health Month is an opportunity to raise awareness around mental health and wellbeing that centres around World Mental Health Day, which is marked each year on October 10. The objective is to decrease the isolation people feel when things aren’t great.

Why not theme some of your activities in your salon or clinic through a cause related marketing campaign?  Encourage your clients to consider who they can reach out to.  On your part, provide a special treat that people can purchase for someone who is going through a difficult time.  For those who get involved in this promotion and purchase something for a friend or family member, include a special THANK YOU voucher for them for caring.  Create a reason why people can think if they would like to tangibly support someone that may be struggling.  Mental Health Month events can be fun, thought-provoking, creative, engaging, and interesting.

If you would like to get involved through a more structured approach you can access a starter kit from an organisation called WAYAHEAD – a registered charity that can provide you with an extensive array of literature to gain a greater understanding of mental health issues – anxiety, depression and way that you can gentle provide support,  guidance and understanding in ways that can fit into your business model.  There are some simple guidelines that you can access to create awareness in your workplace and with your clients.  

If you wish to get more formally involved with a national initiative visit Wayahead’s website and access a starter kit as well as other valuable literature that you can distribute http://mentalhealthmonth.wayahead.org.au/starterkit/