Nobody should wait to be seen.
So many people don’t feel like themselves these days, and the pandemic is making it harder to get the help they need. Even before the pandemic, the mental health care system in Canada was not meeting people’s needs due to long waitlists, access issues, inequity and underfunding. The pandemic is hard for everyone, but worse for some. Vulnerable populations including Indigenous peoples, racialized people, people living with income insecurity, people with disabilities, women and parents are feeling pronounced negative impacts on their mental health. We know that the mental health effects of COVID-19 – including anxiety, depression, substance use – will last long after the pandemic subsides.
So what can be done about it? Ride Don’t Hide is a welcoming, inclusive community event that brings friends, families, and local community members together to move, give back and feel better. When you participate in Ride Don’t Hide, you are raising funds for local mental health programs and services tailored to the needs of your community. While the event is usually one day in June, this year, it has been expanded to the entire month! Participants can create their own goals with the focus of taking care of their physical and mental health for the month. While tracking progress on a personal page, participants are encouraged to challenge family and friends to do the same to create an online community talking about mental health.
As a participant, you’ll get tips, tools, tricks and activities to help you take care of your own mental health, while taking care of others. Ride Don’t Hide riders are some of the most passionate, dedicated, and courageous mental health advocates in the country. Join us this year!
Register, download the app and then track when you ride – or spin, walk, run, or move – throughout the month of June 2022. Register for free at: www.ridedonthide.com/lambtonkent