Mental Health Awareness Week is an annual event in the UK, this year it takes place between 13th-19th May 2024. The purpose of the event is to raise awareness about mental health and wellbeing, as well as to encourage people to take steps to improve their mental health.

This year, the official theme for 2024’s Mental Health Awareness Week is “Movement: Moving More for Our Mental Health”. Charities and organisations will be looking at how movement is important for our mental health and how we can find moments for movement in our daily routines.

For social media managers and content creators, Mental Health Awareness Week presents an opportunity to reach out to their audience and promote positive mental health practices.

But first, let’s talk about you…

A recent Mental Health survey conducted by HeyOrca, which gathered insights from over 170 marketers, sheds light on the mental health challenges faced by social media marketers.

The Struggle with Understaffing

A staggering 70.7% of marketers feel that their social media teams are understaffed. This statistic isn’t just a number—it’s a reflection of the daily reality for many professionals in the field. Understaffing leads to excessive workloads, with employees stretched thin across multiple roles, often without adequate support or resources. The pressure to perform remains high, whereas the capacity to deliver without strain diminishes, setting the stage for chronic stress and job dissatisfaction.

The Virality Pressure Cooker

In the pursuit of digital applause, 65% of marketers have felt compelled to create viral content at some point in their careers. While going viral can significantly boost a brand’s visibility and engagement, the pressure to consistently hit these high marks can be mentally exhausting. Marketers are often pushed to prioritise short-term gains over sustainable growth leading to a volatile work environment where one’s value is measured by likes and shares rather than insight and creativity.

Juggling More Than They Can Handle

The survey further highlights that 71.2% of marketers manage more than five social media accounts simultaneously. This multitasking is not just about switching between accounts; it involves keeping up with different brand voices, audience expectations, and platform specifics, all while staying creative and engaging. Such a workload not only increases the risk of burnout but can also lead to a decrease in the overall quality of work, as the depth of engagement per account may suffer.

Burnout: A Widespread Epidemic

Perhaps the most alarming statistic from the survey is that 89.1% of marketers have experienced burnout at some point in their careers. Burnout in social media marketing is often a result of a combination of high workload, the relentless pace of industry updates, and a stark lack of appreciation. Marketers can find themselves in a constant race to keep up with platform updates and the latest digital trends, all while feeling undervalued and overlooked.

Recommendations for Change

The data from HeyOrca’s survey is a call for industry-wide changes to address the mental health issues faced by marketers.

  1. Adequate Staffing and Resources: Organisations need to ensure that their marketing teams are adequately staffed and resourced. This involves not only hiring more personnel but also providing ongoing training and support.
  2. Setting Realistic Goals: Companies should set achievable, clear goals and help marketers focus on creating quality content rather than just chasing virality.
  3. Mental Health Support: Implementing regular mental health check-ins and providing support systems such as counselling services and stress management workshops can help alleviate some of the pressures faced by social media marketers.
  4. Recognition and Appreciation: Organisations must do more to recognise and reward the hard work and creativity of their marketing teams. A culture of appreciation can significantly boost morale and help retain talent.

Mental Health Awareness Week Social Media Resources

The Mental Health Foundation

The Mental Health Foundation is a UK-based charity that aims to raise awareness about mental health and promote positive mental health practices. They were the creators of Mental Health Awareness Week and have shared an array of resources that will likely be useful.

You can find The Mental Health Foundation on Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn. They also released a social media guide that is perfect for any content creator wanting to utilise their suggested social media posts and graphics. Suggested social media posts include ways to spread awareness, specific anxiety themes and sharing what you’re doing to mark the week.

Brands and content creators on social media can also use their platform to promote self-care and self-compassion, by sharing tips and advice on how to manage stress, anxiety, and depression. They can also highlight the importance of social support and community, and encourage their followers to reach out to loved ones and seek professional help if necessary.

To find out more about how you can get involved this year with resources directly from The Mental Health Foundation, click here.

Mind

Mind is another UK-based mental health charity that provides information and support to people experiencing mental health problems. They also campaign to improve mental health services and raise awareness about mental health issues.

Mind has an active social media presence, with accounts on Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and LinkedIn.

Content creators can follow Mind to get inspiration for their own Mental Health Awareness Week campaigns and to stay informed about the latest developments in mental health. To find Mind’s Mental Health Awareness Week resources, click here.

Rethink Mental Illness

Rethink Mental Illness is a charity that fights for equality, rights, fair treatment and maximum quality of life for all those affected by mental illness. Rethink Mental Illness highlight the unique anxieties faced by those living with severe mental illness on a daily basis, such as stigma, discrimination, lack of support, and limited access to housing and employment.

To find out more about how Rethink Mental Illness is addressing Mental Health Awareness Week, click here.

NHS England

The National Health Service (NHS) is responsible for overseeing the delivery of healthcare services in England and they provide information and support for people experiencing mental health problems. When sharing social media content on Mental Health Awareness Week, it may be beneficial to signpost people to NHS mental health services by sharing links to relevant NHS mental health services and resources, such as the NHS mental health services directory, the NHS mental health helpline, or the NHS mental health apps library.

Mental Health Awareness Week provides a unique opportunity for social media managers and content creators to raise awareness about mental health and promote positive mental health practices.

By using the resources and guidance provided by The Mental Health Foundation, and other mental health charities, and by signposting people to NHS mental health services, social media managers can make a significant impact on the mental health and well-being of their audience.

And, remember to use #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek alongside your posts.

Tinisha Osu is a Marketing Executive with two degrees in Psychology. She is the first-author of a published psychology paper and is beginning her career in marketing through blog-writing, creating social media content and running marketing campaigns.