Bell Let’s Talk Day is Jan. 30.

Bell Let’s Talk Day is an important day for Canada and mental health awareness worldwide. Anyone who knows me knows I support this cause endlessly and my Twitter is on blast for the entire day (@nicolenosee).

Bell Let’s Talk strives to fight the stigma surrounding mental illness, improve care and access to mental health services, support research and be a leader in workplace mental health. The initiative has raised more than $93 million in the past eight years.

#BellLetsTalk

Bell Let’s Talk Day is a fundraiser wherein Bell donates money to different mental health initiatives across the country.

It’s a day where everyone can participate in supporting Bell Let’s Talk by simply engaging on social media, calling and texting on the Bell network. Bell will donate five cents for every engagement. Last year alone, close to $7 million was raised on Bell Let’s Talk day.

The following is a list of how to show your support and do your part in this initiative this year. For each item you complete, five cents will be donated.

• Every text message sent over the Bell network (turn off iMessage!)
• Every call made over the Bell network
• Watch the official Bell Let’s Talk Day video on Twitter
• Tweet with the #BellLetsTalk (this includes retweets!)
• Watch the official Bell Let’s Talk Day video on Instagram
• Watch the official Bell Let’s Talk Day video on Facebook
• Use the official Bell Let’s Talk Day Facebook frame
• Watch the official Bell Let’s Talk Day video on Snapchat
• Send a snap using the Bell Let’s Talk Day filter

It’s as easy as that! Things we all do every single day can be used to support mental health initiatives in our country today.

The Bell Let’s Talk website is a fantastic resource for more information on where the money goes and how to help.

While raising money for mental health initiatives in our country is great and the conversations that are started on this day are crucial to our well-being, we have to remember to keep the conversations going year round.

“If we’re truly going to end the stigma surrounding mental health, it needs to be a 365-day conversation.”

The conversations that are sparked and the knowledge that is shared on this day blow my mind every single year. People are so accepting and there is a real sense of community.

But if by Jan. 31 we’ve all forgotten about the meaningful conversations we had on Jan. 30, we’re undoing all the good we just did. I encourage everyone to have conversations about mental health year round.

I can’t stress enough the importance of year-round conversations. If we’re truly going to end the stigma surrounding mental health, it needs to be a 365-day conversation.

Start texting and sharing!

So, if it’s something you don’t actively engage in but want to play your part in ending the stigma, I encourage you to visit the Bell Let’s Talk website and make an effort to spark conversations all year round.

Bell Let’s Talk Day is a great place to start your year-long, stigma-ending effort, so get your social media and texting thumbs ready for some meaningful conversations!