Today is World Mental Health Day

“World Mental Health Day – 10 October – is a day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy. It’s an initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health to raise public awareness of mental health issues worldwide.”

- Mental Health Australia

This year, Australians are being encouraged to ‘Look up! Look out! & Look forward!’ to look after their mental health. This means taking the time to ‘look up’ and do something for yourself, ‘look out’ for others, including employees at your business, and ‘look forward’ with optimism about the future. Today is a great opportunity to reflect on what you do to support your own mental health, as well as the mental health of others.

While the pandemic has had a major influence on the mental health of many small business owners across Australia, the easing of restrictions does not necessarily mean these problems will go away. Mental illness is common, with one-in-four Australians experiencing mental ill-health at some point in their life. It’s therefore important to focus on your mental health, take time for yourself to recharge and gain the strength to tackle life’s challenges.

If you have employees, take the time today to talk about what can be done to improve mental health within the workplace, provide information on signs and symptoms to look out for, and have conversations that help to normalise mental ill-health and reduce stigma.

What resources are available?

World Health Organization: As part of the campaign, some downloadable fact sheets have been created around depression and suicide, including guidance on prevention and treatment.

Mental Health Australia: The campaign page provides the opportunity to get involved on social media, and make a mental health promise to help remind yourself to look after your mental health and wellbeing.

Ahead for Business: For some information on what you can do to support your mental health as a small business owner, take a look at the following Ahead for Business resources: