When is mental health awareness month?
Mental health awareness month, also known as mental health month, was started in 1949 by the Mental Health America (MHA) organization, whose name was then “National Association for Mental Health.” Each year, mental health month is observed from May 1 to May 31.
What is the theme for mental health awareness month for 2022?
The mental health month theme 2022 is “back to the basics.” Mental Health America states that the goal of the theme this year is to educate people on mental health & mental health conditions and empower them with knowledge on what they can do if they find their mental health faltering.
Where to Download the full 2022 Back to Basics MHM toolkit
The full 2022 Back to Basics MHM toolkit can be downloaded on Mental Health America’s website for free after filling out a form with your name, email address, and organization. The toolkit includes media materials, shareable social media assets, posters, fact sheets, and outreach ideas.
7 Change Makers focused on Mental Health & Social Good
Color of Success
What it is: Color of Success is a podcast where Entrepreneurship meets Mental Health. Each episode features an interview led by Dr. Stephanie J. Wong, a licensed clinical psychologist, that discusses how guests built their careers and their strategies for coping with mental health issues such as self-doubt and anxiety. Guests have featured a diverse cast, including actors, clinicians, athletes, restraunteers, artists, and more. The Asian American Podcasters Association awarded the podcast with the 2021 Golden Crane Award for Best Mental Health.
How they support mental health: Color of Success seeks to destigmatize talking about mental health within Asian American and ethnic minority communities, where discussing mental health is often taboo. Through interviews with Asian and Asian American/Canadian guests, Color of Success tells their stories and the mental health challenges they faced in their journey to success. Additionally, Dr. Stephanie J. Wong has shared episodes with organizations to support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); and mental health.
The Diamond Room
What it is: The Diamond Room is a private diamond jeweler with locations in both Austin and Dallas. Their private diamond showings allow you to receive personal attention from an experienced jeweler who has the relationships to get you a bigger diamond for your budget. Their signature private consultations can be booked online on their website with same-day appointments available as well at https://diamondrooms.com/.
How they support mental health: The Diamond Room is a major sponsor of the Austin Child Guidance Center (ACGC), a 501(c)(3) charity founded in 1951 that focuses on accessible high-quality mental health care for children and their families, and has been nominated for ACGC Partner of the Year. Most recently, The Diamond Room was the headline sponsor for ACGC’s Austin Originals – a charity concert featuring Diana Ross.
Thriving Turtle
What it is: Thriving Turtle is a Life Coach + Emotional Intelligence Trainer Service founded by Howie Zuo, a first-generation Chinese American. Through his Life Coaching and Emotional Intelligence Training services, Howie helps those in the Asian/Western community learn about emotional intelligence and personal happiness, topics that are not often covered in school or talked about within the Asian community. Thriving Turtle offers 3 paid services:
- Couples Counseling
- Hourly Consultation
- Emotional Training Program
The first 1 hour is free in addition to free resources provided on the Thriving Turtle Blog.
How it supports Mental Health: Thriving Turtle is a small business focused on mental health support and emotional intelligence training. Through his coaching and training services, founder Howie destigmatizes talking about mental health and feelings, particularly for men and those with a background in STEM within the Asian/Western Community.
Avid At Work
What it is: Asian-American Author Judy Dang shares her introspective look at what drives her perfectionism and reveals insights from over 19 other Asian-American women who also struggled with the constraints of perfectionism. The book will be available for purchase September 2022.
How it supports Mental Health: The book speaks to different strategies, scientific research, and techniques that help you to understand the roots of your need to be perfect and ways to depart from that way of thinking which can lead to greater productivity and happiness.
Valyou
What it is: Valyou is a self-care subscription box curated by doctors that sends its subscribers 6 to 7 self-care products monthly that have been backed by science and research.
How it supports Mental Health: Valyou’s mission is to help busy people stay healthy and prevent burnout with their monthly self-care packages.
Eupuria
What it is: Eupuria is a wellness clothing brand focused on making self-care easy and luxurious. Their hallmark product is an aromatherapy mask kit which includes a beautiful mask that has a pocket for aromatherapy on the go, 7 aroma pads for diffusing their lavender air blend, and their signature lavender air blend made from clean ingredients. Their masks are reusable and made from a 100% egyptian cotton moisture-wicking backing that is breathable and luxuriously soft. A silky stretch charmeuse nose strip and soft adjustable elastic bands allow for their masks to be adjusted to fit to the form of your face.
How it supports Mental Health: Eupuria is a self care clothing brand making self-care easy with their innovative aromatherapy mask kit. They support mental health by donating a portion of the proceeds from each sale to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI provides advocacy, support, education, and public awareness to mental illness so individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives. One of the ways NAMI provides support is through the NAMI Helpline, where individuals and families going through a difficult time can have someone to answer questions, get support, and learn about practical next steps. The NAMI Helpline is available Monday through Friday, 10am – 10pm ET. 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or [email protected].
Twrl Milk Tea
What it is: Twrl Milk Tea is a plant-based, low-calorie milk tea made from organic tea leaves using nitro-infusion so you can enjoy milk tea guilt-free. They are the first canned milk tea to use pea milk, which consumes 85% less water and fertilizer compared to other non-dairy milks. Additionally, their teas are fair-trade single-origin and use clean ingredients. They currently offer 3 flavors: Hojicha Roasted Green Milk Tea, Supreme Jasmine Milk Tea, and Taiwan Style Black Milk Tea. 12-packs can be purchased for a single flavor of tea and variety packs can be purchased in either a 6-pack or 12-pack.
How it supports Mental Health: Twrl Milk Tea donates 5% of its proceeds from their “Twrl Me Up: Special Edition Variety 12-pack” to AAPI nonprofits that support the mental health and wellbeing of Asian Americans. The first organization to receive their aid is the Chinatown Children’s Community Center (CCCC), a 501 (c)(3) non-profit in San Francisco. The CCCC provides care for children 2 to 5 years old with the majority of children coming from families with incomes below the standard income level. The center provides social services, health screening, nutritious meals, early identification of special needs, and a caring learning environment for its students.
Good article.
Cheers!