May can be a crazy month in schools. It’s full of state testing, events like field days, walk-a-thons, and all the feelings that are associated with the upcoming summer break. It seems fitting that it’s also Mental Health Awareness Month.

As a school counselor, this can be a great time to share about the importance of mental health and to work to decrease the stigma surrounding mental illness. These 5 ideas will make it easy for you to promote mental health awareness, even in this busy month!

Mental Health Awareness Month Ideas For Schools — *This post contains affiliate links. Please review my full* disclosure policy for additional information.

1. Use Books And Videos To Explain Mental Health To Students

The terms “mental health” and “mental illness” may seem like a foreign language to many kids. This month can be a great opportunity to help kids better understand those terms and what they look like in everyday life. Thankfully, there are SO many books and videos out there that do such a good job at explaining this sometimes complicated topic, to even our youngest students.

Some of my favorite books for mental health awareness are:

Lucy’s Blue Day by Christopher Duke
The Bear Who Stared by Duncan Beedie
Wiggles Stomps and Squeezes Calm My Jitters Down by Lindsey Rowe Parker

Here are a few great videos for kids:

Talking Mental Health

Healthy Head To Toe: Kids Explain Anxiety And Depression

2. Talk About Mental Health During The School Day

There are always a ton of things to cram into the school day. It can be overwhelming to feel like you have to add one more thing. However, having conversations about mental health is SO important, and it doesn’t have to take long.

SEL Daily Prompts — These daily prompts are perfect for school announcements, morning meetings, journaling, etc.

Here are some easy but effective ways to get your students talking about mental health:

Do a feelings check-in: Before or after your lessons, show each student a feelings chart, and ask them to share how they feel. Doing this as students enter or exit the room can be a great way to help students learn to pay attention to, and identify, the emotions they are experiencing.

Share mental health tips during announcements: If your school does daily announcements, use this time to share tips or information. You can encourage students to do things that improve mental wellbeing, like getting outside, spending time with a loved one, or doing something creative. You can also share about ways that students can cope with their emotions, be more confident in themselves, and show kindness to each other. Use these daily prompts to make it even easier!
Support classroom teachers: Working with teachers is essential. You can help promote the importance of mental health by sharing with them ways to discuss it with their students. Try giving teachers simple things they can do to follow up on the lessons you’ve done, providing them with any visual aids you’ve used, or giving them some easy discussion questions they can use in their lessons or morning meetings.

3. Plan Spirit Days To Celebrate Mental Health Awareness

Spirit days can be a great way to have fun, improve school community, and inspire conversation about meaningful topics. Spirit days can include dress up days or days when the students are encouraged to do specific challenges. You can also do a combination of both!

Here are some ideas for dress up days:

Wear green (The green ribbon represents mental health)
Wear an article of clothing that makes you happy
Hat day
Wear mismatched socks or shoes as a reminder that it’s okay to be different. * Please note that it may be hurtful to some to call this “crazy” sock/shoe day, especially when promoting mental health.

You can also do different challenges each day like:

Compliment 3 people
Introduce yourself to someone new
Help someone with something
Give someone a thank you note

4. Give Families And Staff Information About Mental Health

In many communities, talking about mental health and/or mental illness is taboo. One reason for this is that people don’t know much about mental health or why it’s important. Some people may also believe myths or stigmas that make it embarrassing or difficult to talk about mental health. Unfortunately, this can make it more challenging for kids to get the support they need.

Mental Health Handout For Families — Use this free handout to help families better understand mental health.

Mental Health Awareness Month is a great time to help the members of your school community better understand mental health and what they can do to support students. Here are some ideas:

Use your school’s social media pages or school counseling page to post mental health resources and information. You can share about community supports and resources, statistics, or the graphics provided by NAMI.
Speak at a staff meeting or PD day about ways that teachers and other school staff can encourage the mental wellbeing of students. This is also a good opportunity to talk about red flags to look for, and what to do if they see something concerning.
Provide handouts to families or display them in the teacher’s lounge. I created a free handout that explains what mental health and mental illness are, and how families can support their children. The handout is editable to best meet the specific needs of your students and families.

5. Take Care Of Your Own Mental Health

You’ve got to put your own oxygen mask on before you can help anyone else. Taking care of your own mental health will not only help you to be the best educator that you can be, but it will also show staff and students how valuable it is. I know this can be hard, especially with the overwhelming demands that come with being an educator. But remember, it’s okay to say no sometimes. If taking care of your own mental health means not doing any of the things I talked about in this blog post, that’s totally okay - your health (mental and physical) is more important!

Here are a few posts that can help you practice and prioritize self-care:

The end of the school year can feel overwhelming and chaotic, and it can be hard to feel like you have to add something else to your plate. However, taking time to promote mental health is worth the investment - for you and your students!