Starting a conversation about mental illness may be as easy as discussing current events. If some news story is grabbing the headlines, it’s not hard to imagine the emotional or mental support the main players might need. If health care is in the news, it’s an easy tie-in to mental health care.

Often, people will talk openly to friends when they have had their appendix removed or when they discover they have diabetes. If you feel comfortable and safe doing so, you can talk about past or present mental health concerns with the same attitude: matter-of-factly and without shame. Provide the facts and your successes. Make it part of everyday conversation, and the stigma begins to dissolve.

Years ago, cancer was not a topic discussed in an open and frank manner, yet as more information about cancer became available, pamphlets and health warnings became more visible. Even AIDS, a once taboo subject, has lost its stigma.

“If people would realize that with mental illness there is often something wrong with the structure or function of the brain, just like a pancreas or a kidney sometimes doesn’t form or function properly, there would be fewer stigmas attached to it.”
                              – Professor James Fox

Allow conversations about mental health at home, in the workplace, and in the community. Model a healthy attitude based on facts and the acceptance of others.Help build an inclusive workplace or community:

• Accept that mental illness is real and treatable, just like diabetes or heart disease;
• Learn the signs of mental illness;
• Understand there are no simple causes, but usually a variety of factors behind a person’s illness;
• Befriend someone who is coping with depression or another mental illness;
• Watch your language – labels do hurt;
• Talk at work about what “mental health leave” really means.

• Host a mental health or pamper party
  Benefit yourself, your friends, and your family. It may be at a spa, a retreat location, or even in your own home. You set the tone, and ban all outside distractions.
• Host a corporate challenge event
  Events such as running, cycling, rowing, or trekking can promote your organization, and you can gather pledges to support a workplace mental health initiative.
• Host an art event
  Emerging artists could showcase their talents with projects that visually represent mental wellness or mental illness. Have an art sale and donate the proceeds to a local community mental health initiative.
• Host a community bake sale
  Donate funds raised from baking to help people with eating disorders or addictions.
• Create an original event
  Use your imagination and creativity to come up with an event idea.

Contact your local office of the Canadian Mental Health Association to share your vision and discuss how we might help you with planning and implementing your idea.

People usually get involved in advocacy because they’ve seen an injustice and want to make a situation better. Through advocacy, we can change attitudes, raise consciousness, and make contact.

It takes time to create social policy changes, and it helps to understand the roles of decision-makers such as legislatures and administrative agencies. It also helps to develop skills in areas such as organizing, building media relations, holding meetings, and writing letters.

Writing a letter to your MLA or the Alberta Health Minister to raise awareness about a particular need is one way to begin lobbying for change. Identify the parties you’ll need to contact and influence, and spell out the programs and initiatives that need funding and support. Follow through with concrete, specific requests for support.

Fight Stigma

Speak up when you hear degrading comments and phrases. A simple way to fight stigma is to stop using negative language like “crazy,” “schizo,” “nuts,” or “psycho.” These words are frequently heard in casual conversation and in the media. This language adds to the burden for people with mental disorders and leaves them vulnerable to becoming isolated and afraid to seek help. Delete them from your own personal vocabulary, and encourage others to do the same. And speak up when you see demeaning media messages. When you see offensive advertising campaigns, write or phone your local mental health organization as well as the company behind the campaign. By doing this, you can inform the company about the disturbing nature of their lack of knowledge and about the problems their ignorance can cause. This type of misunderstanding usually occurs out of ignorance, not malice.

• Share your knowledge and experiences;
• Give back to your community;
• Make a positive difference;
• Feel good about yourself;
• Discover a new hobby;
• Make new friends;
• Help others in need.

Most non-profit organizations rely on the dedication of volunteers. Mental health charities are no different. The Canadian Mental Health Association, for example, relies on volunteers to help provide programs to the thousands of people who depend on our services each year.

Not only does volunteering have many benefits for you, but it also is an excellent way to strengthen mental health sector.

Perceptions about health are changing. The World Health Organization now defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being,” not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Within this context, fostering our mental health every day – not just when we are feeling pressured or unwell – is an important factor in our overall well-being.

Characteristics of good mental health include:

• The ability to enjoy life
  Enjoying life can come from simple things like accepting that some things can’t be changed, having the confidence to change what you can, and having the ability to live in the moment and appreciate “now.” Focusing on the positive aspects of your life helps you enjoy it more.
  
• Resilience
  Life can be full of tough times. It’s important to keep your perspective. One simple way to build resilience is to encourage yourself and others to learn from difficult times; you often emerge stronger. Try to exercise regularly and eat properly, even when life gets busy or stressful. Work on developing support networks of people who can help you through difficult times.
  
• Balance
  Think about small ways to bring what you enjoy most into your life each week. A balanced life usually comes from a strong realization that there are many facets to your life that are important to you and deserving of your interest and attention. Making time for people you enjoy and engaging in activities that you like will help bring balance to your life.
  
• Self-Actualization
  Everyone has strengths and talents. Nurture yours so that you can actualize your full potential. Make a plan to use your best abilities to enhance your life. Above all, value yourself and believe you’re worth caring for.
  
• Flexibility
  Flexibility often comes from a sense that change is a fact of life. Accepting other points of view can help you adapt to these changes and make the most of your life and the people in it. Rigidity in opinions and expectations can create a strong sense of frustration and stress. Opening your mind to accepting differing viewpoints is a step towards developing flexibility.

Mental Fitness Tips

Focusing on building a healthy mind, body, and spirit is a positive, proactive, enjoyable way to equip yourself for the various challenges that life can bring.

Here are some simple ways to practice mental fitness:

• Daydream
  Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a dream location. Breathe slowly and deeply. Whether it’s a beach, a mountaintop, a hushed forest, or a favourite room from your past, let the comforting environment wrap you in a sense of peace and tranquility.
  
• “Collect” positive emotional moments
  Make it a point to recall times when you have experienced pleasure, comfort, tenderness, confidence, or other positive things.
  
• Learn ways to cope with negative thoughts
  Negative thoughts can be insistent and loud. Learn to interrupt them. Don’t try to block them (that never works), but don’t let them take over. Try distracting yourself or comforting yourself if you can’t solve the problem right away.
  
• Do one thing at a time
  For example, when you are out for a walk or spending time with friends, turn off your cell phone and stop making that mental “to do” list. Take in all the sights, sounds, and smells you encounter.
  
• Exercise
  Regular physical activity improves psychological well-being and can reduce depression and anxiety. Joining an exercise group or a gym can also reduce loneliness since it connects you with a new set of people sharing a common goal.
  
• Enjoy hobbies
  Taking up a hobby brings balance to your life by allowing you to do something you enjoy because you want to do it, free of the pressure of everyday tasks. It also keeps your brain active.
  
• Set personal goals
  Goals don’t have to be ambitious. You might decide to finish that book you started three years ago; to take a walk around the block every day; to learn to knit or play bridge; to call your friends instead of waiting for the phone to ring. Whatever goal you set, reaching it will build confidence and a sense of satisfaction.
  
• Keep a journal
  Expressing yourself after a stressful day can help you gain perspective, release tension, and even boost your body’s resistance to illness.
  
• Share humour
  Life often gets too serious, so when you hear or see something that makes you smile or laugh, share it with someone you know. A little humour can go a long way to keep us mentally fit!
  
• Treat yourself well
  Cook yourself a good meal. Have a bubble bath. See a movie. Call a friend or relative you haven’t talked to in ages. Sit on a park bench and breathe in the fragrance of flowers and grass. Whatever it is, do it just for you.
  
• Recognize and honour your personality type
  Some people are energized by lots of busy social interactions, while others find them draining. Seek out situations where you feel recharged or energized. For one person, that may be participating in a stimulating conversation. For another, that may be sitting still in a quiet room with little or no distractions.
  
• Just breathe
  When we are stressed, we don’t breathe as fully as we should. There are several breathing techniques we can learn to help us relax and recharge. Simply reminding ourselves to take some deep breaths in a difficult situation can create a pause in the tension and help us regain a sense of calm.

Canadian Mental Health Association – Northwest Territories Division: cmha@yk.com

Nunavut

Kamatsiaqtut Help Line http://nunavuthelpline.ca/

Yukon

Canadian Mental Health Association – Yukon Division: deliasmorgan@yahoo.com

Newfoundland & Labrador

Canadian Mental Health Association – Newfoundland & Labrador Division: http://www.cmhanl.ca. Offers public education about mental health. See the Links page for useful provincial, federal, and international links to services and agencies.

Nova Scotia

Canadian Mental Health Association: Nova Scotia Division: http://www.novascotia.cmha.ca. See the Programs and Services page for information on how to access mental health care in Nova Scotia. The Nova Scotia Branches page gives contact information to CMHA Branches in Nova Scotia.

Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia: http://www.cdha.nshealth.ca/. Provides or supports mental health programs, fund raises for mental health. The Resources page provides links or contact information to community resources, provincial health services, and informative sites.

Chebucto Community Net: https://www.chebucto.ns.ca/. Aimed at teens, but provides useful information about mental health and mental illness and many useful contacts and other mental health links.

New Brunswick

Canadian Mental Health Association – New Brunswick Division: https://cmhanb.ca/. Programs and services in New Brunswick. Click Contact Us to see contact information for local N.B. Branches and Regions.

New Brunswick Addiction and Mental Health Services: https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/health/AddictionsandMentalHealth.html. Provincial Government site gives information about mental health and addictions services in New Brunswick and contact information for Community Mental Health Centres.

Prince Edward Island

Canadian Mental Health Association: Prince Edward Island Division: https://pei.cmha.ca/. Programs and services in PEI. Click the Contacts link to access contact information for PEI Branches and Regional offices.

Association canadienne pour la santé mentale – Division du Québec: http://www.acsm.qc.ca. The Projets page provides links to mental health and addictions resources in Quebec.

Canadian Mental Health Association – Montreal Region: https://acsmmontreal.qc.ca/en/. Provides information, programs, and links to resources for the Montreal area. English and French.

Les Amis de la sante mentale/Friends for Mental Health: https://www.asmfmh.org/en/. Based out of Dorval, this organization provides mental health services, information, and useful links to other organizations.

Canadian Mental Health Association – Ontario Division: http://www.ontario.cmha.ca. CMHA programs and services in Ontario. Use the Location Finder to get contact information for other CMHA – Ontario branches.

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health: https://www.camh.ca/. Information about mental illness and addictions, issues in the news, where to get help, events and education.

Mental Health Works: http://www.mentalhealthworks.ca. Information for employees and employers about workplace mental health.

Children’s Mental Health Ontario: http://www.kidsmentalhealth.ca/. Resources relevant to children’s mental health issues, where to get help, useful links.

Canadian Mental Health Association – Manitoba Division https://mbwpg.cmha.ca/ CMHA programs and services in Manitoba. Click ‘Regions’ to see contact information for local Manitoba CMHA offices.

Manitoba Mental Health and Addictions: http://www.gov.mb.ca/health/mh/index.html: Provincial Government site providing information about mental health and addictions programs and services, links to other resources in Manitoba, Canada, and other countries.

Manitoba Mental Health and Education Resource Centre: http://www.mherc.mb.ca/home.html: Another CMHA – Manitoba Division website aimed at mental health education. Provides information on available resources.