Headspace launched a “Be Kind to Your Mind” pledge that encourages the prioritization of mental health care beyond just World Mental Health Day. World Mental Health Day is scheduled for October 10.

Box, Farmers Insurance, Hyatt, Snap, Spectrum Health, and National Military Family Association are among the first companies and nonprofits to join with Headspace.

Headspace is tracking employee sentiment around a variety of factors affecting peoples’ mental health, surveying thousands of employees in May and again in September. The data shows some trends heading in the wrong direction. Its findings include:

  • 48 percent of respondents surveyed in May 2020 said their organization provided increased access to tools and services to support employee mental health as a result of COVID-19. That slipped to only 34 percent in September; and
  • 56 percent of respondents surveyed in May 2020 felt that mental health and emotional well-being were priorities in their organization. That fell to 44 percent in September.

“Our people, teams, our communities and each of us knows we are in a moment that calls for compassion and support,” said Dr. Megan Jones Bell, Headspace Chief Strategy and Science Officer. “The challenges of 2020 are bringing a lot of mental health issues to the surface. World Mental Health Day is the perfect time to acknowledge the reality that our mental health is as important as our physical health.”

To date, 600 organizations have signed the pledge.

“Wellbeing is at the core of our purpose – to care for people so they can be their best – and a true point of difference for Hyatt,” said Malaika Myers, Hyatt Chief Human Resources Officer. “When Hyatt first teamed up with Headspace in January, we knew how important it was to make mindfulness and meditation content accessible to help employees, guests, and customers prioritize their wellbeing. With 2020 proving to be an exceptional year with unexpected challenges, now, more than ever, prioritizing our wellbeing is paramount. We can only care for others if we take care of our own mental, emotional and physical wellbeing first.”

As part of the effort, Headspace is sharing a toolkit with educational resources and tactics to keep the spotlight on mindfulness for the next year.

“Advocating for mental health is part of our DNA as a company committed to improving the health and happiness of the world,” said CeCe Morken, Headspace president and chief operating officer. “We’re incredibly grateful and proud to join with our partner companies to keep this important conversation going by normalizing care and compassion for ourselves and others.”

For more information, go here.