Pupils and teachers across the country are being urged to wear an item of clothing inside out for a whole day today to raise awareness about mental health.
The idea of Inside Out Day, on 6 February, is to make people stop and consider that others may look OK on the outside despite feeling distressed.
The campaign was started by mother-of-four Jo Novick, whose sister died by suicide despite “looking stunning on the outside”. It was originally started at her own children’s school, but has since found widespread support on both social media and throughout the country in other schools.
“The aim of Inside Out Day is to remind everyone to always be kind and think of others as nobody knows how another person may be feeling.”
Protecting Children’s Mental Health
There is a growing concern that social media is also a cause of anxiety among pupils, and can disguise reality by making everyone else look like “they’re happy and leading wonderful lives, even when they’re not”.
Children are always looking to see how many ‘likes’ they get or they’re seeing photos of their friends having a good time. We as a society need to let children know it’s OK not to be OK and that no one is perfect even though they may look it.
Inside Out Day will take place during Children’s Mental Health Week. Schools taking part are being invited to make an optional donation to the cause.
