Bulletin
The 71st Annual Mental Health Week – May 2 to 8, 2022
April 29, 2022
To all MoveUP Members
Over the past 2+ years, while our health system has been focused on combatting the physical effects of COVID-19, the pandemic has created unprecedented levels of stress and anxiety that have challenged the mental health of much of our population.
From May 2 to 8, 2022 the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is recognizing the 71st annual Mental Health Week, with a focus on empathy. This year’s theme is #GetReal about how to help. Before you weigh in, tune in.
One in five Canadians experiences mental illness or a mental health issue in any given year, and mental illness indirectly affects all Canadians and some time the affects are through a family member, friend, or colleague. For further information regarding Mental Health and Mental Illness we would encourage you to read – Fast Facts about Mental Health and Mental Illness – CMHA National. Mental Health Week wants to help shift our societal beliefs and perceptions and at the same time promote more healthy actions and attitudes to support good mental health and create a culture of understanding and acceptance.
What can you do?
This year Mental Health Week (May 2 to 8, 2022) is focused on how we can help each other – we can #GetReal. We are all different and have our own unique challenges but having different challenges does not make us rivals. A little bit of empathy goes a long way and helps us support each other and can lessen the polarization that has happened during this pandemic. We can be there for each other when times are hard and sometimes people just need us to listen. You don’t have to agree with each other to understand each other, and you don’t have to fix problems or people to help – just lend your ear.
The Canadian Mental Health Association has some great tools that you can use for posting your thoughts on social media and help to bring attention to Mental Health at 2022 Toolkit – Canadian Mental Health Association (mentalhealthweek.ca). The CMHA is also hosting a virtual conversation May 2, 2022 at 12 Noon EST, on exploring empathy, featuring three interesting speakers and advocates. Join Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, award-winning humanitarian and CMHA National Volunteer; Michael Landsberg, Mental Health Speaker & Founder of #SickNotWeak; and Kayla Breelove Carter, Clinical Traumatologist, for an hour of thoughtful conversation on how to bring empathy to life.
Join us for Exploring Empathy: A Canadian Conversation – CMHA National
On behalf of MoveUP’s Health and Safety Committee:
Rysa Kronebusch, Chair
Andrea McKenna
Ann Soucie
Brian Martens
Greg Westerlund
Janice Krieger
Marcy Marko
Patrick Coghlan