At a critical moment for mental health in the state, Mental Health Colorado is inviting all Coloradans to think about the big and small ways we take care of ourselves, and how those small moments add up to improved well-being for each of us. The “What’s Your Peace?” campaign will showcase the real-life ways people around the state care for themselves and find joy, strength, or peace. Mental Health Colorado will assemble and share the crowdsourced photos and videos of these “peaces” — like calling a friend, knitting a scarf, watching the sunset, casting for trout, or simply taking a walk — to help promote a sense of community and mental well-being.
The effects of COVID-19 have taken a serious toll on the well-being of people throughout Colorado. A 2021 Colorado Health Access Survey revealed that 38% of Coloradans over the age of 16 experienced a decline in mental health such as anxiety, depression or loneliness, as the result of COVID-19. And more Coloradans reported poor mental health in 2021 than ever before; nearly 24% of respondents reported eight or more poor mental health days in the past month. At the same time, Colorado has been ranked dead last in the nation for access to care for adults with mental health needs.
“We’re in a critical moment for mental well-being for Coloradans,” said Vincent Atchity, president and CEO of Mental Health Colorado. “But intentional self-care doesn’t have to be a big lift. Most of us already do small things each day that promote our own mental well-being, and we may not even realize it. Now is the time to keep taking — or start taking — those small steps. This campaign will celebrate the things we each do and will help inform others about how little things we work into our day can have a dramatic effect on our well-being.”
Coloradans can visit mentalhealthcolorado.org/whats-your-peace to share the ways they find and create peace in their day. The campaign will collect a wide variety of examples from residents all over the state and will assemble and share them throughout the campaign with the goal of inspiring others to find their peace and improve their overall well-being.
Residents can follow the What’s Your Peace campaign by opting into the Mental Health Colorado email campaign or following Mental Health Colorado on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.