The history of Mental Health Awareness Month serves as a reminder to make mental health a top priority.

Workplaces have taken huge strides to support employee mental health in the past few years. Mental Health Days, gym memberships, and remote work have grown in popularity. Yet, these things only go so far.

Read on to learn about the history of Mental Health Awareness Month, plus some ways to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month 2023 with your team on a deeper level.

A Brief History of Mental Health Awareness Month

Before we learn how to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month at work, it is helpful to gain some context about why we celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month in the first place.

Mental Health Awareness Month's history started in 1949 with Mental Health America, a nonprofit that promotes mental health awareness and helps people get mental health support. They have designated May as Mental Health Awareness Month.

Each year, MHA chooses a theme for Mental Health Awareness Month. The theme for Mental Health Awareness Month 2023 is "How our physical surroundings impact our mental health."

The beginnings of mental health awareness are often contributed to MHA's founder, Clifford Whittingham Beers, who helped kick-start the modern concept of mental health. He aimed to help people gain access to better mental health care.

Why Observe Mental Health Awareness Month at Work?

We've come a long way since the 1940s, but we still have a ways to go when it comes to providing access to mental health care and breaking down stigmas around mental health. That's where businesses like yours come in.

‍45% of people with a mental illness still don't seek professional support. There are many reasons for this, from stigma to lack of access to care, to the costs of care, and lack of counselor availability.

Plus, it's simply difficult to reach out for help, especially when you're struggling mentally.

Reflecting on the history of Mental Health Awareness Month and your own mental health experiences can help businesses refocus on supporting employees in this often neglected area.

For more information on starting your company's mental health journey, check out these blog posts:

 
• How Employers Can Break Down Stigmas: Key Takeaways
 
• How to Talk About Mental Health in the Workplace
 
• The New Pandemic: Families & the Mental Health Crisis

Ideas to Celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month at Work

We recommend that your Mental Health Awareness Month efforts center on three things:

 
1. Mental health awareness
 
2. Mental health education
 
3. Reducing the stigma around mental health

Here are some ways your company can touch on these three crucial aspects of Mental Health Month.

1. Sharing the History of Mental Health Awareness Month with Your Team

You can do this via email, by holding a lunch and learn (more on that in #2), or sharing an announcement during your next team meeting. If you can have the CEO or another company leader share the update, even better!

In this same announcement, share some stress management tips with your team.

Here is an example announcement you can send out:

"May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we want to encourage everyone to take care of themselves this month, even if that means stepping away from work for a bit to take a walk, talk to a therapist, or practice other kinds of self-care. Mental Health Awareness Month's history started in 1949 with Mental Health America, a nonprofit that promotes mental health awareness and helps people get mental health support. You can check out their website for resources on self-care and mental health support. You can also contact HR to learn more about our mental health benefits."

2. Holding a Lunch and Learn on Mental Health

Wellness lunch and learns are an excellent way to bring your company together to talk about this important topic.

Here is an example agenda for your virtual or in-person workshop:

 
1. Kick it off with a get-to-know-you-question. Ask questions like: How do you manage your stress positively? What is your favorite thing to do for self-care?
 
2. Have a company leader share their mental health story. It doesn't need to be super in-depth or cover your entire mental health story. Even just an example of a struggle you had this past week works. The idea is to start opening the door to vulnerability and showing employees that it is okay to talk about mental health at work. This article includes some real mental health stories from our team members to help inspire you to share yours.
 
3. Discuss the history of Mental Health Awareness Month and what your team is doing to support mental health at work.
 
4. Share some stress management tips with your team. Mindfulness, exercise, healthy eating, sleep hygiene, spending time outside, and doing things you love are all great examples.
 
5. Close it out with a guided meditation. You can find tons online, or bring in a counselor to lead the meditation for your team.

3. Providing a Mental Health Benefit to Your Team

If you don't already, now is a great time to start! Your Guide to the EAP Implementation and Search Process will help your team find and decide on a mental health program for your team.

A mental health benefit package can include:

• An EAP
• A tele-therapy program
• Yoga classes, art classes, cooking classes, etc.
• Massage therapy
• Life coaching
• Financial coaching

The best mental health programs support multiple areas of wellbeing. We recommend looking for a wellness benefit that supports employee through therapy, life coaching, financial coaching, and more. Not everyone wants to talk to a therapist! Some people may benefit most by talking to a financial coach that can help them cope with financial stress in their life, for instance.

While the history of Mental Health Awareness Month started more than 70 years ago, you're company's mental health journey may just be starting. We hope these ideas help your team make mental health a priority.

There are countless other ways to prioritize mental health in your workplace. For more inspiration, check out: 14 Mental Health Awareness Month Activities for Employees

This article was originally published April 2023 and updated again April 2024.

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Disclaimer

By participating in/reading the service/website/blog/email series on this website, you acknowledge that this is a personal website/blog and is for informational purposes and should not be seen as mental health care advice. You should consult with a licensed professional before you rely on this website/blog’s information. All things written on this website should not be seen as therapy treatment and should not take the place of therapy or any other health care or mental health advice. Always seek the advice of a mental health care professional or physician. The content on this blog is not meant to and does not substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.