The Town of Hawkesbury supports Mental Health Week

1.Good mental health isn’t about being happy all the time. In fact, a mentally healthy life includes the full range of human emotions—even the uncomfortable ones like sadness, fear and anger.

• Feeling sad, angry and anxious at times is part of being human.
• Even if we try to push our difficult feelings down, they don't go away.
• Focusing on intense emotions doesn’t makes them worse. In fact, one of the best ways to quiet our emotions is to give them a voice.
• Bottling up our emotions can make them grow or come out in other ways—not reacting to something negative that happens at work could end up making you more likely to yell at your children later, for example.
• If your emotions are overwhelming, persistent and/or are interfering with your daily functioning, it’s important to seek mental health support.

2. The theme of this year’s Mental Health Week is understanding our emotions. Recognizing, labeling and accepting our feelings are all part of protecting and promoting good mental health for everyone.

• 1 in 5 Canadians experiences mental illness or a mental health issue in any given year, but 5 in 5 of us – that’s all of us – has mental health.
• Regardless of whether or not we have a mental illness, our mental health is something we can protect and nurture.
• Everyone deserves to feel well, and understanding our emotions is a part of feeling well.
• Emotional well-being includes recognizing what influences our emotions, discovering how our emotions affect the way we think or act, taking action when our emotional response isn’t helpful and learning to accept them.
• Emotional self-regulation, or the ability to label and shape your emotions, is a protective factor for good mental health.

3. From May 3-9, 2021, #GetReal about how you feel and celebrate CMHA’s 70th annual Mental Health Week.

• Relying on others and sharing our very normal feelings of sadness, fear and worry is hugely important during this unusual time of stress, uncertainty and loss.
• Every May, people in Canadian communities, schools, workplaces and legislatures rally around CMHA Mental Health Week.
• First marked by CMHA in 1951, 2021 marks the 70th anniversary of the annual Mental Health Week.
• The objective of Mental Health Week is to shift societal beliefs and perceptions about mental health. It helps promote behaviours and attitudes that foster well-being, support good mental health and create a culture of understanding and acceptance.
• Mental Health Week is generously supported by Major Partner Shoppers Drug Mart as well as Westland Insurance, Leith Wheeler, Rogers TV and CMHA’s Not Myself Today program.

4. Get involved and get help

• Visit www.mentalhealthweek.ca for info, helpful articles and free downloadable communications tools to help you celebrate CMHA Mental Health Week.
• Download and share our free School Toolkit with activities and info to help teachers, students and children learn about and promote good mental health.
• Connect with us on social media using the hashtags #GetReal and #MentalHealthWeek.
• Check out a virtual Mental Health Week event, such as a free CMHA mental health course at https://cmha.ca/recovery-college/courses
• If you or someone you love is struggling, there is hope and help:
• Please contact your local CMHA.
• Visit cmha.ca/bounceback.
• Visit the Government of Canada’s Wellness Together portal.
• Thinking of suicide? Please call 1-833-456-4566 toll free in Canada