May is Mental Health Month and it’s an opportunity to kick off a conversation on mental health topics and encourage people to tell their stories, host mental health panels, plan icebreakers, share resources, run surveys, and introduce mindfulness activities and coping strategies.
When you are looking for Mental Health Month speakers, look for one who inspires and motivates through storytelling, and offers practical strategies, and interactive activities. Make sure that the mental health speaker offers ways to cope plus resources.
All this helps destigmatize and normalize a subject that has been stuffed in the closet for too long.
But don’t stop there, keep it going throughout the year
If you only focus on mental health during Mental Health Month, you are not creating a culture of workplace wellness, you’re checking a box.
Same if you work in a school. Students and staff need consistent, year-round messaging, support, and opportunities to learn coping skills and connect.
“Yesterday’s mental health presentation was so powerful. Even though I stayed for the entire 2 hours, I may watch it again on my own time. Anne Moss was incredible and very brave to share her insights on her son’s loss. That type of dedication to help others is amazing. Thanks to all DE folks who were responsible for bringing it to us!!!”
—Dominion Energy employee
Underdeveloped coping skills are a problem in the digital world
We used to learn those skills through face-to-face interactions, especially during unsupervised play outside. But generations raised in the digital age have gotten half the face time or less than previous generations. That freelance time allowed people to develop resilience and so today’s workforce wants the skills and strategies to cope with life’s challenges and the resources and methods for doing so.
So we need to be more intentional about integrating opportunities to inspire critical thinking and problem-solving in our work and learning environments.
Use Mental Health Month as your foot in the door
“This presentation was fantastic. Holding more of these presentations will help break the stigma of mental illness and promote engaging, transparent conversation.”
–Dominion Energy Employee regarding AnneMoss’s mental health presentation
You may have gotten pushback in the past about hiring speakers on mental health and offering wellness programming in your workplace.
But do know that upper management or an administration is less likely to deny approval during mental health month. Make sure you also get permission to do a follow-up survey with employees to see what they liked, and what they’d like to see going forward.
Those survey results are likely to sway management that it’s worth the investment. Because that’s what helps you launch and build that consistent workplace wellness culture. And all that starts with little changes and a workplace mental health champion.
Emotionally healthy people perform better, are absent less, and work better with others. Employees also feel loyal to organizations that care about their mental health which helps retention.
Helpful links to mental health awareness speaker programs for workplaces:
- Mental health speaker for workplace (blog post)
- Mental health speaker for workplace programs (speaker programs page)
“I came into the room to get a cup of coffee, intending to return to the registration table, and was mesmerized by your opening 5 minutes and stayed for the entire hour and a half. The feedback from our members has been overwhelmingly positive. They now not only have tools for their workplace, but through your presentation, they have recognized situations in their personal lives that they can now positively impact.”
—Sally Becker, CCM, Managing Director, Connecticut Chapter The Club Management Association of America, Emotionally Naked Workplace Wellness
One sheet (2 sided pdf) on Anne Moss Rogers’ topics, bio, and reviews.
AnneMoss Rogers is a leading wellness and suicide education expert and one of the top mental health speakers and suicide prevention speakers. Known for her powerful, motivational keynotes, AnneMoss combines her personal story of loss with proven strategies to help organizations build a wellness culture that drives results and saves lives. She speaks at conferences, workplaces, K-12 schools, and universities, delivering impactful presentations that inspire change and promote mental health awareness.
AnneMoss does this work in memory of her son, Charles, who struggled with anxiety, depression, and addiction, and died by suicide at age 20 in 2015.
Anne Moss, Is anyone out there listening, is everyone up to speed concerning Mental Health & Wellness, are we so tunned out that it takes special events to help us refocus on the needs of everyday society? As a supporter of Anne Moss Rogers, her webpage, blogs, and speaking events, I strongly encourage any School District, Business, Organization interested in educating the masses concerning the next step during and after the national awareness dates, to invite Anne Moss to speak at your location as soon as possible.
Andy, thank you so much for that endorsement. I really appreciate it! And I do think people are waking up to understanding that emotionally healthy people perform better in all aspects of life. There is a lot more focus on this topic than there used to be!