World Mental Health Day GRAPHICS: Let's Talk About it | It's OK to not be OK!

Person holding globe with World Mental Health Day Graphics alongside on blue backgroundMental

Here at The Coaching Tools Company, we want to encourage people to talk about mental health—how we're really feeling. And we had so many ideas for World Mental Health Day Graphics we couldn't decide on just one, so we picked our 3 favourites!

World Mental Health Day - 3 sets of inspiring social media graphics to shareAbout World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Day (10 October annually) is a day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma.

It was first celebrated in 1992 as an initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organization with members and contacts in more than 150 countries.

About these World Mental Health Day Graphics

  1. We created 3 graphics called "Mental Health Matters" - these are specifically for World Mental Health Day.
  2. We created 4 Graphics called "I Heart my Coach!"- these can be shared anytime!
  3. We created 12 Graphics called "It's OK to not be OK!" - also to be shared anytime.

Let's talk about Mental Health—get sharing!

Grab your .ZIP file of all these World Mental Health Day Graphics to Share!

Need help with your ZIP file? Here's how to unzip your files!

The 3 Sets of World Mental Health Day Graphics we created—and Why

NOTE: These are the graphics you get in the .ZIP file.

1. Mental Health Matters!

These 3 graphics were created specifically for World Mental Health Day itself. The intention is to normalise and encourage talking about mental health.

We have clear definitions for what physical health looks like - but defining our mental health is quite a bit fuzzier! And we don't always feel comfortable talking about it. I would love for mental health to be something we talk about as naturally as our physical health.

World Mental Health Day - Mental Health Matters Social Media Graphics x3

The best way to reduce the shame and stigma around mental health? Talk about it!

Click here for your .ZIP file of all the World Mental Health Day Graphics to Share >>

2. I Heart My Coach!

These 4 "I Heart My Coach" were creates as graphics for World Mental Health Day, but can be shared any time. The intention is to normalise getting help from a professional to achieve your goals, overcome limitations and boost your mental health!

World Mental Health Day - I Heart My Coach, Counsellor and Therapist Graphics

Do you love your coach, life coach, therapist or counsellor? What better way to positively share that you are taking care of your mental health than with one of these graphics!

Click here for your .ZIP file of all the World Mental Health Day Graphics to Share >>

3. It's OK not to be OK!

Let's be Honest about our Mental Health...

These graphics give 12 alternative answers to the question "How are you?" instead of just saying "Fine". The intention is to help people be more open about how they really feel when they might be feeling low.

One of the hardest questions to answer when we're not feeling great is "How are you?". Depending on who is asking, how well we know them, where we are - we will say something different. And it's all too easy just to brush off what's going on with us and reply, "Oh, I'm fine. You?". We're supposed to be happy, right?

But what happens when we are having a bad day, week or month? When we says things are "fine" and they're not, we continue the negative cultural avoidance of talking about our mental health. When we say we're OK, but we're not really:

  • We abandon our 'selves'. By saying "I'm fine" we're saying that what we really feel (who we are in that moment) is not important enough to say aloud.
  • We remove the opportunity to build connection - and receive support from another.
  • We maintain the cultural expectation that we should not "complain", and that emotional health should not be discussed. This makes it hard for others to share what's going on with them - and the cultural expectation of OK-ness continues.

Instead, lead the way! Encourage and inspire people to get talking about their mental health with this series of graphics that give an alternative to saying, "I'm Fine" - use these graphics to share how you really feel!:

World Mental Health Day - 12 Social Media Graphics to Reply when asked How are you?

Click here for your .ZIP file of all the World Mental Health Day Graphics to Share >>

 

Love this article with World Mental Health Day Graphics?

See more articles relating to being honest about our Mental Health and asking for help here:

Image of Person holding globe with World Mental Health Day Graphics alongside on blue background by Kraken Images

Image of Green Ribbon by Click Bestsellers via Shutterstock

Image of Silhouette of head via OpenClipArt

19 Comments

  1. Nick Hughes

    Thank you for sharing. All the millions of us who either suffer from mental illness or must help family members who have mental illness it is important that we talk about it and continue to search for the right solutions for a better life.

    Reply
  2. Lalitha Brahma

    Wow! what a great story. I never knew you were an IT project Manager turned Coach. I have been reading your interesting articles. You have touched the heart of several people going through transitions and transformations. Thank you

    Reply
    • Emma-Louise

      Dear Lalitha,
      Thank-you for your kind words! I'm so glad you enjoyed the story and find the articles helpful 🙂 Warmly, Emma-Louise

      Reply
  3. abby

    What are the two behind the 12 ways to reply to how are you instead of fine on the picture

    Reply
    • Emma-Louise

      Hi Abby, the answer to your question is unimportant and unworthy. And you can download all the graphics (including those two) by grabbing the zip file! Warmly, Emma-Louise

      Reply
  4. Aisha Atiku

    Thank you for the articles and graphics. I found them very helpful and plan to share the posters with my students. Improving mental health awareness (including in children) is very important.

    Reply
    • Emma-Louise

      Dear Aisha, thank you for taking the time to comment on our World Mental Health Day resources! So glad you like them, and find them useful 🙂
      Warmly, Emma-Louise

      Reply
  5. Maluke

    Wow! This is so awesome, can't wait to share on World Mental Health day.
    Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • Michela Phillips

      You are most welcome, Maluke! So glad you're enjoying the graphics!
      - Kindly, Michela

      Reply
  6. Soraya Leeuw

    Wow. Thank you for sharing these great tools regarding mental health...in the nick of time for me I'd say. I'm suffering from depression. I especially love the 12 ways to respond when asked "how are you" it made me realize that to make people aware of the relevance of mental health issues, it starts with self awareness. So no more "I am fine". I'm getting real with my feelings by responding honestly. Again thank for making me aware. Soraya

    Reply
    • Emma-Louise

      Dear Soraya, I am so glad you found this post and the ideas helpful 🙂 All too often we stuff down our feelings and pretend we're OK when we're not! It takes courage to be honest and take this step. Warmly, Emma-Louise

      Reply

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