Standing Together on World Mental Health Day
World Mental Health Day took place on Sunday, October 10th + this year CHILL Anywhere hosted a Instagram Live event to destigmatize mental health conversations, raise awareness of mental health issues, + encourage people to prioritize mental health for themselves + their community.
Darrell Jones, CHILL Anywhere Lead Meditation Guide, engaged in three different conversations with NAMI Chicago, SocialWorks and Project Healthy Minds to discuss stigmas + what these nonprofit organizations are doing to integrate + support mental health within the communities they serve.
We kicked off the day with Emma Couling, Growth + Engagement Coordinator at NAMI Chicago, National Alliance on Mental Health. NAMI is an advocacy group that educates to fight stigma, provides free mental health resources and supports people through their mental health journey. Emma shared, “The biggest reason why people don’t have the education or capacity to realize within themselves what they are going through is stigma...and in just having the conversations, we are starting to defeat stigma.”
Head of Marketing Activations at Project Healthy Minds, Rachel Schultz, shared a similar view during her conversation. “Having culture makers, celebrities, + influencers share personal stories, helps give people permission to talk about mental health + challenge the stigma around mental health,” Schultz said. Project Healthy Minds is a mental health nonprofit for the digital age that focuses on confronting mental health in the younger generations.
SocialWorks also engages with younger generations + works to empower them through arts, education, + civic engagement. Executive Director Justin Cunningham shared how mental health is integrated into their programs + his hope for the future of mental wellness. “Let’s find cool, reimagined ways to bring wellness to all people from all walks of life.”
In addition to conversations + meditation practices, CHILL Anywhere created a downloadable digital pledge that people shared to demonstrate their commitment to mental health for themselves + the community. CHILL’s pledge featuring a green ribbon, the international symbol for mental health, reached over 1 million people.
We were grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with these great organizations + shine a light on mental health. If you want to watch these conversations in full, head to our IGTV.
CHILL Anywhere encourages everyone to continue prioritizing their mental health beyond World Mental Health Day. We are offering a complimentary two-week CHILL Anywhere trial providing access to hundreds of on-demand meditation, yoga + stretch practice; live classes; a journal + more. Visit chillanywhere.com/try to sign up.