Tag: World mental health day

This World Mental Health Day, Take a Beat With Spotify

October 10, 2023

World Mental Health Day, observed today, offers people everywhere a chance to reflect, discuss, and destigmatize conversations around mental health and well-being.

Mental health has been a priority here at Spotify since 2018, when we launched our Heart & Soul initiative. For us, mental health is a state of well-being where we are able to cope with the daily stresses of life, function productively, and make meaningful contributions. Heart & Soul’s focus is to create an open and caring environment around mental health issues, an environment where we can do our best work and belong. Heart & Soul aims to raise awareness, enable support, and normalize the conversation to reduce mental health stigma at work. 

We also know our platform can provide a place for listeners to find moments of inspiration and healing through music, podcasts, and audiobooks. We are always seeking new methods to leverage the power of Spotify to break down stigma and raise awareness around mental health and well-being. This World Mental Health Day, we’re encouraging people around the world to take a beat. 

Go ahead and ‘Take a Beat’

On Spotify, listeners can find our Take a Beat global content hub, which includes a collection of podcasts and playlists that promote mental health and wellness. Whether you’re looking to find audio around relaxing, resting, or releasing good vibes, the curations give listeners a refuge from the intensity of our noisy world and provide a chance for them to tune into themselves.

Don’t forget that ‘Our Minds Matter’

Earlier this year, we announced the launch of a new partnership with UNICEF to support the mental health of young people. Focusing on those affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine, we plan to scale this initiative over the next two years to aid in other emergency and nonemergency scenarios. 

As a part of this partnership, we created the Our Minds Matter content hub on Spotify. This destination is designed to support those in Ukraine and Poland, in particular, and also features music and talk playlists to support sleep, study, and relaxation. We also cocreated On My Mind with UNICEF, a podcast available in multiple languages, including Ukrainian, Polish, and English, that provides practical, evidence-based mental health resources.

Making moves with Nike

In the U.K., we’ve taken on a different challenge: partnering with Nike to inspire girls to get more active using the power of music—and in turn, improve their mental well-being—through the Make Moves Fund. Together, we’ll invest in community initiatives that inspire girls to get moving while leveraging the power of music to improve their well-being. With British girl group FLO serving as the fund’s ambassador, we’re hoping to create lasting change by awarding multiple £20K grants to U.K.-based community organizations that propose pioneering and girl-first programs that use music and movement to inspire girls to get active.

Mental health starts with ‘Heart and Soul’ 

This World Mental Health Day at Spotify, we’re acknowledging the occasion a little differently. We’re inviting teams to come together to participate in a mental health–centered workshop led by their managers.

This will bring our teams together in new ways—all with the goal of reducing stigma and encouraging conversations about mental health.

We want to ensure teammates are genuinely looking out for one another, and to do that, it’s important for us to build emotionally aware teams. Creating healthy and thriving workplaces starts with our leadership. When leaders prioritize employee well-being and lead with compassion, the well-being of the collective is elevated.

At Spotify, it’s important for us to come together to cultivate collective care.

Whether within our company or on our global platform, we are finding new ways to highlight the importance of mental health and well-being. If you’re looking to kickstart your mental wellness journey with podcasts, mindful meditation suggestions, or relaxation playlists, check out our Take A Beat destination for everything you need.

Looking to hear more about experiences of mental health within the artist community? Catch this special episode of Best Advice to hear from Hayley Kiyoko, Troye Sivan, Big Freedia, Laura Jane Grace, Princess Nokia, Lykke Li, Rina Sawayama and more. 

Spotify Teams Up With Artists and Creators To Help You ‘Tune In To Yourself’ on World Mental Health Day

October 7, 2022

There are times when it feels like the world around us gets too loud, distracting us from experiencing the moment and connecting with ourselves. And while mental health has always been important, these last few years have brought it to the forefront. In a sea of demands for our attention, it’s important to take time to get grounded. To help Spotify listeners find quiet amid the chaos, we’re inviting them to turn down the noise and tune in to themselves on World Mental Health Day this year. 

At Spotify, mental health is a top priority. It’s the reason why we started our Heart and Soul mental health initiative in 2018 as a way to raise awareness, build knowledge, encourage self-care and professional support, and normalize the conversation to reduce stigma. And in the years since, we have continued to make mental health conversations and resources available to our employees, as well as to all who come to Spotify looking for the moments of inspiration and healing that music and podcasts can provide.

This year is no exception. We believe that audio is one of many beneficial tools for mental well-being, and so we’re supporting listeners and employees with our lineup of hand-curated content and collaborations with artists, creators, and influencers. We’re also continuing to evolve our partnership with Headspace, the mental wellness provider that promotes health and happiness through mindfulness and meditation. Our hope is that everyone discovers audio that helps them continue to connect with themselves and with others in their everyday lives.

Connect with your favorite artists and creators in our Wellness hub

Across our Wellness hub, we’re highlighting content that can help listeners find some respite from noisy thoughts and buzzing news feeds. We’re also collaborating with artists and podcasters to share their personal experiences of feeling overwhelmed and stressed––along with their ways to bring themselves back to a place of connection. When you first open the Spotify app, you’ll be greeted with a pop-up or banner with a link that will take you to the hub. 

There, you’ll find not only some of our most popular editorial wellness playlists like Calm Vibes, Noise Cancelling, and lofi meditation, but also a wide range of curated playlists from artists and podcasters like J Balvin, Hayley Kiyoko, We Can Do Hard Things’ Glennon Doyle, and Meditation with CurlyNikki’s Nikki Walton.

We’ll also be working with a few of India’s and Sweden’s brightest stars. This includes India’s singer-songwriters Armaan Malik and Hanita Bhambri, actors Rajkummar Rao and Mithila Palkar, and writer Shaheen Bhatt—and from Sweden, artist SHY Martin and Det skaver’s Cassandra Klatzkow, Elsa Ekman, and Nadia Kandil. Each playlist will feature some inspiring words from the artists and creators themselves about the importance of mental health and well-being. 

Additionally, you’ll find exclusive content on our social channels, where creators and influencers such as Zion Clark, Eli Rallo, and Bran Flakezzz will be sharing their own thoughts on mental health awareness and encouraging viewers to visit the Wellness hub.  

Sundays get less scary with Headspace

In addition to having our Wellness hub, we’re also partnering with Headspace to launch the limited podcast series Sunday Scaries Student Edition on October 9. Based on the hit podcast Sunday Scaries, the series pairs Gael Aitor—cohost of the popular Gen Z podcast Teenager Therapy—with Headspace wellness expert Dora Kamau to discuss meditation, mindfulness, and most importantly, life. At the top of each episode, the two tackle a subject that’s affecting students and young people, and Gael has a conversation with Dora about it. 

“It is extremely important to break the taboo surrounding topics such as mental health and anxiety, especially with younger generations,” Gael told For the Record. “This limited podcast series of Sunday Scaries is aimed at reaching young people and teaching them to learn and understand that these feelings are normal, and there are so many tools and techniques to help combat those situations.” 

Whether she’s talking Gael through the feelings of fear that come with following his dreams, or helping him to reframe his thoughts around the idea of being alone, Dora opens up new perspectives in each of the six weekly episodes. And after every conversation, Dora leads Gael through a bespoke meditation on the subject.

“Young people are struggling more than ever with their mental health, with 50% of mental health conditions starting by age 14. Together with Gael, our intention is to help destigmatize and normalize conversations surrounding mental health by providing listeners a space to explore and investigate their feelings, emotions, and unique experiences,” said Dora. Through sharing our own stories, it’s our hope that folks can find a sense of comfort through the advice and resources shared with them.

Finally, Spotify will also be donating directly to Backline, the Music Health Alliance, the MINDS Foundation, and SEARCH.  

Turning down the noise can be tough––especially in moments of stress. If you or someone you know is struggling to safely tune in to themselves, our Mental Health Resources can provide immediate help.

Need a moment to focus on yourself? Take a break with our Calm Vibes playlist below.

Update as of August 21, 2023: We want to help connect listeners who may be thinking about self-harm with the support they need. Anyone who searches for terms that are associated with this type of behavior will receive a localized in-app message prompting them to explore our Mental Health Resources Hub and help them find locally relevant emergency mental health and support services.

Spotify Encourages Everyone To ‘Take A Beat’ on World Mental Health Day and Every Day

October 7, 2021

In recent years, more and more people have been raising the volume on the need to have open, honest discussions around mental health. Artists, athletes, and creators of all types are coming forward with their stories in an effort to encourage others to do the same and to get the help they need. And while there is still a long way to go in destigmatizing the topic, Spotify is proud to use our platform to be a part of the conversation. 

In 2018, we started our Heart & Soul mental health initiative that aims to raise awareness, build knowledge, enable self-care and professional support, and normalize the conversation to reduce stigma. During these last years, we’ve educated our employees on what mental health and mental illness are and provided different resources, since mental health is unique to all of us. With our mental health strategy, we aim to create a stigma-free environment where we look after ourselves and each other and where it’s ok to not be ok. We have worked to make mental health conversations and resources available to our employees, as well as to all who come to Spotify looking for the moments of calm, inspiration, and healing that music and podcasts can provide. 

So as we gear up for World Mental Health Day this Sunday, we’re encouraging both our listeners and our employees to “take a beat”, and “tune in to yourself” in an effort to address mental health—not just today, but every day. 

Tools for our listeners

This World Mental Health Day, we’re bringing back our curated Wellness hub, and it’s better than ever. With this updated hub, listeners can better access mental health resources, connect with themselves, and prioritize their well-being. Starting today, the hub will pop up when users open the mobile app and encourage them to “take a beat” and listen to themselves with a selection of uplifting, insightful, and calming podcasts and playlists.

Listeners will also find special playlists and video content from mental health advocates like Chelsea Cutler and Lyn Lapid. Plus, tune in for WE THE URBAN’s Fall Healing Season and MD Motivator’s Heal & Nourish. Both playlists are filled with the tracks that help creators ground and center themselves and their mental well-being.  Additionally, we have an array of Spotify Creators who are involved in our World Mental Health Day campaign who are sharing original videos on how they are taking a beat and turning inwards. Creators include Cole Cuchna from Dissect, Mark Hugo from Teenager Therapy, Sarah Turney from Disappearances, Kevin O’Connor from The Mismatch, Yasi Salek from Bandsplain, Nia Sioux from Adulting with Teala & Nia, and Garrett Clayton and Blake Knight from A Gay in the Life.

Resources for our employees

This World Mental Health Day we are also encouraging our employees to refocus their attention on themselves, support and be supported by colleagues, and take a much-needed deep breath. During this day we direct our everyday attention to mental health. Every day, we strive to create a safe environment where employees can speak openly about their mental health and foster a culture where we take care of ourselves and each other. We aim to make Spotify a place where employees can be themselves and where they feel they belong no matter what they’re going through. 

For World Mental Health Day in particular, we’ll be hosting virtual talks, workshops, and panels related to our employees’ mental well-being. Individuals will be able to learn new skills, deepen existing self-care practices, and open up in important conversations. We’ll also continue to lean into our Heart & Soul local peer-to-peer ambassador program that enables employees to educate and support each other and reduce the stigma around mental health.

Finding some healing

When it comes to individuals who are speaking up about mental health, WE THE URBAN stands out. The online publication updates frequently with soothing pictures, quotes, and mantras to help followers find a moment of solace in their day—and hopefully capture some skills they can use to address their mental health going forward. For the Record asked Editor-in-Chief Willie Greene about listening to oneself—and about the FALL HEALING SESSION playlist he created.

Your Instagram is filled with self-worth reminders and moments of peaceful pause. How can daily affirmations help an individual get in touch with their emotional state and needs?

The average person in the United States spends more than 1,300 hours on social media a year. If you add that up, that is literally 52 consecutive days of ingesting media—the mundane parts of other people’s lives, news, other people’s thoughts, and everything in between into our subconscious. What we’re taking in each day has real-life consequences on our mental health. Being mindful of this is so important. 

That’s why I created a space on the internet like WE THE URBAN—sort of as an antidote to the onslaught of media that makes us feel bad. Our daily affirmations are shared and viewed up to 12 million times a week, and when I look through the messages we receive from our audience, I see firsthand how taking in positive daily affirmations has improved lives in a very real way. Following content that is supportive and makes you feel better about yourself can only help your emotional state.

Spotify is telling listeners to “take a beat” and “tune into themselves” during World Mental Health Day this year. Why is it important to listen to ourselves even when we might feel lost or as though we don’t personally have the answers?

Intuition is the greatest gift. So is the ability of being present. In my own mental health journey, things only began to improve when I decided to face the symptoms I was experiencing head-on. Having the courage to recognize what I was feeling informed me on how to get the help that I needed. It’s uncomfortable to sit in feelings that are confusing or painful, or to acknowledge that you might be depressed or having some serious mental health battle, but leaning into them, interrogating it, and feeling it out is how we heal. 

A lot of the times when we experience heartbreaks or grieving, it’s easy to dissociate and spiral in thought. Through therapy, I learned that mindfulness and being present was the thing that was going to save me. The cliches really work: meditating, journaling, practicing mindfulness, and gratitude. 

How do you approach collective versus personal struggles, especially as they can impact mental health?

When I think of collective struggles, I think of the issues marginalized communities deal with on a daily basis. I live at the intersection of so many different systematically oppressed identities. I’m Black, queer, and non-binary. When you put it all together, the struggles these communities face take a toll on our mental health. It’s not for everyone, and I definitely have to be careful about how much I do it (for the sake of my own mental health), but my approach to dealing with it is utilizing my platform to bring awareness. There is something to be said about the performance of activism a lot of people do on the internet, but the reality is that change begins with awareness. 

Funny enough, I’ve crafted a career where I can do this for my personal struggles as well. Therapy has been a lifesaver and so has the ability to process what I’m going through and sharing those little nuggets of wisdom with millions of people who can relate. 

What are some of your favorite mood-boosting tools?

Definitely the things I mentioned before. Therapy, journaling, exercise, and mindfulness about what I’m ingesting (on social media, what I eat, etc.) all help me so much. I’d say one of my most effective mood-boosting tools is music. The power sound has to transform how we’re feeling blows my mind, and I’m constantly curating playlists and searching for music to help with what I’m going through.

Tell us about some of the songs on your FALL HEALING SESSION playlist. What approach did you take in crafting this playlist?

It’s a vibe! When I was crafting this, I was thinking about the ups and the downs of our lifelong healing journeys. Every single song is a song that has aided me personally. Sometimes you feel energized and hopeful, other times you find yourself randomly crying about that thing you thought you got over a long time ago. I wanted to honor every kind of feeling with these song selections. 

What songs or artists might listeners be surprised to see on there?

The playlist is very R&B inspired, so some people may be surprised to see “Creep” by Radiohead or “Pretty Girls” by Little Dragon. “Summer Soft” by Stevie Wonder is one of the most beautifully written songs and is so perfect for October. I’m a lover of all genres, and I hope the mix can be of service to each listener. 

‘Tune into yourself’ with WE THE URBAN’S World Mental Health Day playlist.

Spotify Empowers Employees To Make Every Day ‘World Mental Health Day’

October 12, 2020

The year 2020 has proven to be a unique one across the board, and especially so when it comes to managing one’s mental health. Discussing this topic is not new to Spotify: In 2018, we started “Heart & Soul,” a program committed to reducing the stigma around mental health within our company. Now, in the wake of the added global stressors this year, we’ve continued to enhance our initiatives to better support our employees’ mental and physical wellness.

At the core of our mental health initiatives is the belief that it is important to make consistent time for self and professional care, much like we do with exercising, nutrition, and other areas of our wellbeing. And while World Mental Health Day is a great reminder to continue to do this work, we are working to ensure we are also doing so year-round. 

Read more about the programs Spotify has implemented to assist employees with their mental health, today and every day.

Spotify Recognizes Workplace Well-Being on World Mental Health Day

October 10, 2019

More and more, people are speaking out about mental health—reminding each other that “it’s okay not to be okay.” At Spotify, we know it’s time to move past words and take action. That’s why this World Mental Health Day, we’re inviting our entire organization to stop, take a breather, and learn more about mental health.

“Mental health issues like depression and anxiety are increasing in society,” explains Katarina Berg, Chief Human Resources Officer at Spotify. “They have been for years now, and there is nothing to indicate that this increase will stop. It affects how we can grow as humans and perform at work. So we want to do whatever we can to support and boost mental health among our employees and in society.”

The Day is in keeping with Heart & Soul, our strategy and plan for mental health and emotional wellbeing. It’s aimed at raising awareness, building knowledge, and removing the stigma around mental health. We provide proactive self-care and professional treatment for all employees, and have a community of autonomous Heart & Soul ambassadors who drive local initiatives. This October 10, on World Mental Health Day, employees will learn about and discuss emotional well-being and mental health in local events at our offices all over the world.

It’s important to address these issues head-on in the workplace, since most people spend 35% of their waking time at work. Our environment therefore plays a huge role in our psychological health—if we’re not okay in life, we’re likely not to be okay at work.

“We don’t want our employees to hide behind a happy face at work—we want them to show up at work feeling that they can tell their manager and colleagues that they are not well, and get the support they need,” says Katarina. “Many suffer in silence and we don’t want that for the Spotify team, or anyone else.”

Read more about Heart & Soul, and about how we work to create a climate where it is safe to raise questions about mental health on the Spotify HR Blog.