The start of the school year can be exciting, overwhelming, and busy. The entire team at Our Minds Matter HQ has loved seeing how clubs have kicked off these first weeks of school with tremendous energy, ready to create space for mental health promotion. Clubs like Brookwood Minds Matter, Stratford Minds Matter, and Dolphins’ Minds Matter have been hosting club meetings and interest sessions, and it’s amazing to see students coming together to bring mental health awareness to their schools!

And we loved seeing the “Gratitude Week” that Tahlequah Minds Matter (TMM) at Tahlequah High School in Oklahoma organized in September as a way to encourage students and staff to share what they’re grateful for. TMM set up three stations on their campus where people could participate by writing down their gratitude and placing it in communal jars, and they also offered an online link where people could share through a digital gratitude jar. The responses were then read aloud during the school’s morning announcements as a way to spread positivity and joy throughout the school community.

Making space for gratitude inspires positivity and can bring people together, creating a network for folks to  lean on when they are struggling. Gratitude has also been shown to reduce stress, which aids in both mental and physical wellbeing.

Let’s continue to celebrate #everywin on the journey to change school culture around mental health, and recognize the power of being able to learn with and from one another! As this school year progresses and we navigate different seasons of life together, we look forward to seeing all that OMM clubs accomplish. 💕

Want to amplify and share the work your club is doing to change the narrative around mental health? Email [email protected].

With Gratitude, 

Your Friends at OMM HQ