May is Mental Health Awareness Month, but Leaders Should Be Concerned about Mental Health Every Day

Did you know that May is Mental Health Awareness Month? It actually has been observed in the United States since 1949.

Leaders must always ensure that mental health is a concern every month, not just in May. Before any athlete, employee, service member, or student can be successful in their tasks, their mental, physical, and emotional needs must be met. Leaders always make sure that the organizational culture and environment are always supporting their people, especially their mental, physical, and emotional health.

If you are looking for ways this month, or anytime, to better focus on people’s mental health, you can just start with kindness. You may have someone in your organization that feels lonely or isolated because of physical distancing during COVID-19. There have been a number of research studies that have shown that the simple act of kindness can help people stay connected, boost their immune systems, and lower blood pressure, anxiety, and depression. The culture in your organization will improve just because you care about your people. This is something to think about in addition to their physical safety.

Being kind does not take a grand gesture or even money…You can start by calling an employee to just say hello, reminding an athlete that they are doing a great job, telling a student that it was extremely obvious they put a lot of effort into a paper or project, or sharing with a subordinate that specific efforts have not gone unnoticed and are greatly appreciated by you.

You can go out and buy them a Thanksgiving turkey or gift cards but I am pretty sure that you just showing that you genuinely care is more important than any tangible gift is. You never know, your act of kindness may save someone’s life by showing them that someone cares, and helping someone who is struggling to choose to live.