This month at Sanctuary, we’re doing something new. We’re going to spend the next few weeks promoting mental health awareness in easily-accessible and shareable ways, through our social media channels, collaborations with our ambassadors and friends, blog posts, and more. We’ll be specifically focusing on the Five Ways to Wellbeing, as outlined in a UK study by the New Economics Foundation.
Why October?
Every year in the first week of October, the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health leads a national public education campaign on Mental Illness Awareness. Additionally, World Federation for Mental Health instituted World Mental Health Day on October 10 in order to increase mental health awareness and education, as well as advocate against social stigma. The goals of these two major campaigns go hand-in-hand with our month-long campaign, which is designed to provide practical, engaging, social media-sized pieces that raise awareness, encourage self-care practices, and provide helpful additional resources.
How do the Five Ways to Wellbeing relate to faith?
The Five Ways to Wellbeing are practices from an evidence-based model for living a balanced, flourishing life. God has created us to grow and develop our minds (LEARN), hearts (TAKE NOTICE), bodies (BE ACTIVE), and relationships (CONNECT), and he has called us to bless others by sharing the fruit of this growth generously (GIVE). Stay tuned throughout October on our social media channels to discover how you can integrate faith and mental health using this model.
How do I participate?
Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to keep up with all we’re doing! Many of our pieces will only be published on social media, making them easy to share with others. We’ll also be sharing lots of content from collaborators and our ambassadors, which you won’t want to miss.
What can I look forward to?
This week we’re kicking off the month with an all-new meditation from Sanctuary Ambassador Hillary McBride, which you can find on The Sanctuary Podcast (on Apple, Spotify, Google Play, or whichever podcast service you use) or at the bottom of this page. We’re also publishing a blog on the Five Ways to Wellbeing for Children, which is a helpful resource for parents and caregivers in this season (plus it includes a special printable!). On social media, we are posting updates and reflections from the Sanctuary team and friends, thoughtful questions, and more. Finally, save the date for two Instagram Live events:
- October 7, 12:00-12:30 PM PDT: Scott Erickson (@scottthepainter) and Sanctuary UK National Director Corin Pilling talk about art and mental health, and Scott’s new book Honest Advent (available October 20)
- October 22, 12:00-12:15 PM PDT: Hillary McBride takes over Sanctuary’s Instagram Live for a lesson on emotions, embodiment, and connection
And later this month we’re announcing a special virtual Christmas event!
Let’s get started!
Start Mental Health Awareness Month with a grounding exercise by Sanctuary Ambassador Hillary McBride. Find a calm place physically, mentally, and emotionally with this guided meditation.