In celebration of the World Mental Health Day, the Public Health Institute of Iceland – Mental Health Promotion – is launching a campaign to publicize the 10 Mental Health Commandments. The 10 Mental Health Commandments, sayings that remind individuals what they can do on a daily basis to promote their mental health, will be displayed on all Reykjavík buses for one month. The sayings are based on the traits of those that are believed to lead successful lives.
Gudrún Gudmundsdóttir, project manager for Mental Health Promotion, told Morgunbladid that the campaign is to promote awareness of what one can do to promote their own mental health.
The 10 Mental Health Commandments are:
1) Think positively; it’s easier
2) Cherish the ones you love
3) Continue learning as long as you live
4) Learn from your mistakes
5) Exercise daily; it enhances your well being
6) Do not complicate your life unnecessarily
7) Try to understand those around you and encourage them
8) Do not give up; success in life is a marathon
9) Discover and nurture your talents
10) Set goals for yourself and pursue your dreams
World Mental Health Day was established by the World Federation for Mental Health and is celebrated all over the world on the 10th of October.
According to the US National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, the World Mental Health Day provides a unique opportunity for a wide variety of groups and organizations to raise awareness about mental health and to publicize and recognize the work that continues all year round.
The the aims of World Mental Health Day are to increase awareness that:
- Mental Health concerns everyone
- Anyone can experience mental health problems
- Individuals, organizations and communities can take positive steps to promote mental health
