Today@Dal

The Not Myself Today campaign, designed to reduce stigma and support mental health at work, was launched at Dalhousie last year with great success. As part of the campaign, more than 1500 mood buttons were handed out to faculty, staff and students.

This year, Human Resources is asking everyone to wear your mood button on Wednesday, January 28. If you don’t have a mood button, you can download mood stickers, posters, fact sheets and other promotional materials from the Not Myself Today website.

January 28 also marks Bell Canada’s Let’s Talk campaign, designed to help end the stigma around mental illness.

Here are just a few statistics to explain why workplace mental health matters:

• Approximately 44 percent of Canadian workers have or have had mental health issues.
• Only 23 percent of employees will discuss their mental health issues or illness with their employer.
• One in three workplace disability claims are related to mental illness.
  

“Having a mental illness does not mean you are weak or flawed,” says Janice MacInnis, Manager, Organizational Health. “Encouraging employees to talk about their mental health or emotional needs is an important first step and something employers need to get more comfortable with.”
“We want Dalhousie to be a workplace where people feel supported in identifying their stressors and concerns and find effective ways to deal with them.”

“A session, Nature and Our Health, will be held on January 29, which has a mental health component. All faculty and staff are invited to attend. You can register online for this workshop at http://register-eod.dal.ca or email inquiries to EOD@dal.ca.

The Not Myself Today campaign began in 2013, and has more than 180 companies and organizations involved. While the national campaign will kick off April 2, 2015, employers are encouraged to organize their own events and activities throughout the year. Learn more about the Not Myself Today campaign.

You can also find more resources at Workplace Strategies for Mental Health. If you need someone to talk to there is support available through the Employee and Family Assistance Program at 1-800-387-4765.