Today, the 10th of October is World Mental Health Day!  Each year, the World Health Organization choses a theme to focus on, and this year, they’ve selected a fantastic one!  We will never be able to look back on the year 2020 without focusing on Covid-19 and its lasting impacts on our healthcare system, our economy, but also upon ourselves.  Experiencing a collective trauma, increasing isolation and economic stress has thrust our mental health into the spotlight, exposing the deep flaws in our current systems, and therefore the World Mental Health Day theme for 2020 is increased investment in mental health.

We at Brampton Library have already taken steps to help you invest in your own mental health!  Earlier in the year, we brought you curated booklists, specifically designed for children, young adults and adults to learn about your own mental health, all from the comfort of your own home, and we have updated these to include new titles. You can find these lists, and start checking out titles, here: Celebrating World Mental Health Day (Adults) and Celebrating World Mental Health Day (Juvenile).

In conjunction with our book recommendations, we have also helped you get started with your own bibliotherapy and small ways to improve your mental health, whether it be tips on getting started with bibliotherapy in our Blog, engaging in bibliotherapy outside, making use of Picture Books that help Children Deal with Anger, or making a mindfulness jar.

We’ve also worked hard to reduce isolation!  Although we cannot host programs in our physical library spaces, we have a full calendar of programs, events and activities that are completely free!  Have a look at what we have to offer, and sign yourself up for something new from our Calendar.

We also compiled a handy list of fun and interesting things to check out from your own home, so if you still aren’t up for going out to crowded public spaces, but still want to be involved, explore our list of #StayHomeResources. 

Finally, we want to make it clear that Brampton Library is here for you!  Mental health is something that should be recognized, understood and spoken about freely, without the worry of stigmatization; we want to continue to contribute to maintaining good mental health in the future, and hope that you will continue on this journey with us!