Here are a few ways you can show your support
Online
- Change your Facebook cover photo. Check out ours here.
- Make your Facebook/Twitter profile picture green.
- Share information about mental health. Here are some sample posts to get you started
On Twitter:
- What are you doing to educate and reduce #stigma for #MIAW? http://ow.ly/y6tAJ
- “Mental illness is not a partisan issue. It can strike anyone at any time. #MIAW” http://ow.ly/y6tAJ
- “Checking in” on a friend or loved one can go a long way in making a difference in their life, it can help save a life. #MIAW http://ow.ly/y6tAJ
- Almost 50% of children aged 8-15 with a mental illness received no treatment last year. We must do better. #MIAW http://ow.ly/y6tAJ
- Mental Illness affects 1 in 4 American adults. You are not alone in this fight. NAMI is there to help. http://ow.ly/y6tAJ
On Facebook:
- Mental Illness affects 1 in 4 American adults. You are not alone in this fight. NAMI is there to help. http://ow.ly/y6tAJ
- Just signed up for a NAMIWalk! Who wants to join me? http://www.namiwalks.org/
- Strength of Us offers an online community for young people to connect and share information about their experiences with mental health problems http://owl.li/vZH1O
- Participate in an online discussion or chat.
- Connect with NAMI on Facebook and Twitter and see what we have going on.
- Share your story of hope on YANA.
- Spread the word about what you’re doing on Pinterest.
In Your Community
- Join the Green Light Initiative. Across the country, buildings and landmarks are lighting up green to show support and raise awareness for mental health. The green light is meant to start a conversation and inspire hope.
- Utilize connections you may have in your community to get buildings illuminated in your town or city. When in doubt reach out to PR or media departments of organizations or companies or contact local officials.
- Host an event or get together with friends, family or neighbors.
- Hand out or sell green ribbons for people to wear.
- Contact local businesses and government to see about placing green ribbons throughout your community on trees, light posts, columns and in other public spaces.
Make a Statement
- Wear green. Be creative; don’t just limit this to your everyday wardrobe. Wear green shoelaces, a green suit, dye your hair green or paint your fingernails.
- Initiate a “Wear Green Day.” Encourage your workplace and friends to pick a day during the month to wear green to spread the word about Mental Illness Awareness Week.
- Wear a green ribbon. Pin it on your shirt or on your bag or backpack.
- Learn about new research, advances in treatments and coping strategies for living with mental illness and share what you find out with your family and friends. There might even be some simple ideas that you can pass along that can be incorporated into an everyday routine.
- Share your story of hope on You Are Not Alone.
- Donate to Austin NAMIWalks and support the work NAMI Austin does.
- Share your photos of your activities using #MIAW on twitter or facebook or submit your pictures to YANA (You are not Alone) or on our Facebook page.