Happy Mental Health Awareness Month everyone!
Mental Health Awareness Month is always a time I look forward to because we have the opportunity to include more outings, activities, and events at our facility. I am always looking to expand what we include throughout the month and make it more exciting for both residents and staff.
This year the theme was 4 Mind 4 Body (#4mind4body) which focused on social connections and recreation. Mental Health America provides a calendar with activities for each day that we try to follow the best we can. Staff at Willow Haven got together to try and connect some of the calendar ideas with local activities throughout the month.
Some of the activities that we were able to do this year included a BBQ, outing to a Buddhist temple, two mental health awareness murals, attending a Zumba class, walking trails at a local park, and the family and friends brunch. We still have plans for a bags tournament and a scavenger hunt.
This month is a great opportunity for discussions surrounding stigma, as well as promoting the themes of social connection and recreation. My hope is that this month keeps evolving and we can continue to find new ideas that promote and advocate for mental health awareness.
What are other facilities doing around Thrive for Mental Health Awareness Month? I’d love to hear what ideas you all might have come up with!