If you're passionate about mental health and want to help make a difference in the lives of those who struggle with mental illness, a good place to start is by helping remove the stigma associated with those who struggle with mental health conditions.

What is a stigma? When it comes to mental health, stigma is any negative or degrading connotation associated with mental health conditions. A lot of stigmas stem from misunderstanding or fear, so it's important to educate others on why mental health should be destigmatized and spread awareness for the cause.

The National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) is one of the largest organizations dedicated to removing the stigma associated with mental health through education, helping shape public policy, and events to help raise more awareness for the cause.

This March, NAMI and a company called Lokai are collaborating to help support mental health awareness. Lokai is well-known, especially amongst millennials, for their Lokai bracelets and their company motto, "Live Lokai." The bracelets are fairly durable and the classic bracelet has a rubbery texture with clear beads and two distinct beads on either end.

The black bead, on one end, has mud from the Dead Sea, and the white bead, on the other end, has water from Mount Everest. These two beads represent the highest and lowest points on earth, and to "Live Lokai," is to understand that life has its highs and its lows.

Lokai wants to make an impact — in fact, that's part of the reason they were founded in the first place. When founder Steven Izen's grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, he decided that his life needed more balance and wanted to make a positive impact on the world. The Lokai bracelets not only embrace the notion of balance in the products they sell and the words they preach, but they also give back to the community. Lokai collaborates with a handful of charities to spread the word about their cause and also donates 10% of their net profit. In the past, special edition versions of their bracelets have been designed specifically for charities such as Make a Wish, Alzheimer's Association, BCRF, and more.

"We're in this together, so don't walk through your toughest day alone."

The bracelet that Lokai has created in support of NAMI is bright orange and features the two distinct black and white beads on either end. Lokai admits that this has been one of the most requested collaborations, so it's safe to say that these are going to sell fast. From now until March 31st, Lokai will donate $1 from each bracelet sold to NAMI, with a minimum donation of $200,000.

“Mental illness has been our most requested cause and through our partnership with NAMI, we hope to inspire the next generation of activists to allow their voices to be heard and let those suffering in silence know that we are in this together."
- Steven Izen, CEO and Founder of Lokai

Seeing Lokai's announcement for this particular bracelet warmed my heart because the stigma around mental health needs to be erased. So if you're looking to show your support for a good cause and help spread mental health awareness, you can buy these limited edition bracelets here.

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