Hayley Hasselhoff launches a mental health awareness incentive

Hayley Hasselhoff, Marie Claire's Fashion and Wellbeing Editor tells everything we need to know about her new platform, 'Check in on you' which encourages an open discussion around mental health awareness. Here she tells us why now is the perfect time for the launch.

Check in with you, a simple statement we seem to neglect on a daily basis. The energy surrounding this global crisis is collective yet, can bring up triggers or flare ups for many struggling with their mental health. Which is why I wanted to start a mental health awareness incentive called ‘CHECK IN WITH YOU’. I checked in with some of my industry friends to have them look within, to check in with themselves and their mental wellbeing during this time. ‘CHECK IN WITH YOU’ encourages the conversation about coping skills during this unprecedented time. The power of knowing you are not alone during this collective anxiety is important now more than ever.

As someone who has struggled with anxiety, depression and panic attacks I know what It can feel like to feel closed off from society because of the fear of being judged on how we are really coping. When I was a teenager, I heavily experienced anxiety and because it was not something that was openly discussed within my circle I didn’t know how to categorize it. It felt scary, unfamiliar and I would blame myself for not being able to be okay all of the time. If we openly discuss our struggles it allows us to take comfort in knowing it is okay to not be okay.

That we too shall survive this and checking in moment by moment is a huge step forward. As I got older I started to understand what anxiety and depression looked like for me. It gave me two routes, either motivate myself to find ways to walking alongside my mental health challenges or sit in it with fear on what’s to come. For the past 5 years, I have been able to combat my anxiety and depression with love towards myself even on my bad days. To live without judgement around my emotional challenges and encourage myself to find new practices that will be there for me when they are needed.

We need to normalize the conversation around mental health to allow there to be no shame in speaking vulnerably and honestly about how we are coping in that moment. In the beginning of lockdown I decided to launch an INSTALIVE/IGTV series called Redefine You: A Conversation for Wellbeing.

The purpose was circled around conversations with empowering and inspiring friends of mine in the industry to talk honestly and openly about their journey to ownership of self and their relationship with their mental health, as we cannot take ownership of ourselves without looking within and seeing all parts of us. It gave me great comfort to know that I wasn’t alone and opened up deeper relationships with my friends when speaking opening about our commonality in dealing with mental health. This allowed me to pay more attention to how media was taking ahold of openly discussing the normality around mental health. There have been so many gorgeous campaigns around mental health awareness that have surfaced across social media during this time, allowing the conversation to encourage others to look beyond themselves. It inspired me to want to make this collective video in order to showcase that there is so much strength in being vulnerable with one another and hopefully motivate you to check in with yourself too.

As artists we deal with the fear of the unknown every day. If we can discuss how we’ve lived alongside our mental health challenges and give back what mental wellbeing practices have worked for us, it may help someone find the practice that works for them. No matter who you are, where you are, or your social status we are all dealing with a collective anxiety right now. With the weight of the world surrounding us there are a lot of things we can not control, but the one thing we can is knowing that the road to being okay starts with openly speaking about how you feel with one another.

We are all in this together. Let’s not forget to CHECK IN WITH YOU today, tomorrow and every day.

A special thanks to my extremely inspiring group of friends for lending their voices, hearts and power to this movement.

Tony Oller (@followoller) Romeo Miller (@romeomiller) Sara Haines (@sarahaines) David Hasselhoff (@davidhasselhoff) Maddie Hasson (@maddiehassonofficial) Ricki Lake (@rickilake) Kevin McHale (@kevinmchale) Chris Martin (@coldplay) Katie Stevens (@thekatiestevens) Vas Morgan (@vasjmorgan) Marielle Scott (@marielle_scott) Jesse St. John (@jessestjohn) Ashley James (@ashleylouisejames) Pamela Hasselhoff (@pamela_hasselhoff) Levi Davis (@thelelife_) Andrea McLean (@andreamclean1) Frauke Ludowig (@fraukeludowig_official) Victoria Ekanoye (@victoriaekanoye) Dustin Belt (@dbeltwrites) Megan McKenna (@meganmckenna) Molly McCook (@mollyjmccook) Olivia Olson (@oliviaroseolson) Parker Stevenson (@byparkerstevenson) Li Jun Li (@lijunli) Ivan Rodic (@facehunter) Harvey MC (@harveyofficial) Nathalia Ramos (@nathaliaramos) Harvey Guillen (@harveyguillen) Janka Polliani (@polliani) Dominic Charles Farrell (@dominic.charles.farrell) Max & Harvey (@maxandharvey) Garrett Clayton (@garrettclayton1) Medalion Rahimi (@medalion_r) Scott Ashley (@scottashleysays) Nikki Pennie (@NikkiPennie) Lukas Gage (@lukasgage) Taylor Kalupa (@taylorkalupa) Denise Bidot (@denisebidot) Kelly Packard (@kellypackardofficial) Abby Hornacek (@abbyhornacek) Frauke Daughter (@loredana) Janie Bryant (@janiebryant) Kyle Christie (@kylecgshore) Malan Breton (@malanbreton) Ryan Ochoa (@ryanochoa) Marco De Luca (@marcodelucagioielli) Jonny Labey (@jonnylabey) Fernanda Romero (@free_fernando_romero) Janette Manrara (@jmanrara) Alana Hadid (@lanzybear) Beau Dunn (@beaudunn) Cassie Scerbo (@cassiescerbo) Christian Madsen (@christianjamesmadsen) David Chokachi (@therealdavidchokachi) Imogen Anthony (@imogen_anthony) Kristan McAtee (@kristenmcatee) Sterling Beaumon (@sterlingbeaumon) Sukki Singapora (@sukkisingapora)

Help is just a phone call away. To find out more about the incentive head over to our website. www.checkinwithyou.com #CheckInWithYouHH