By Liz Smith, senior manager, global total health and recognition, Kellogg Company

World Mental Health Day (WMHD), recognized annually on Oct. 10, is an international day dedicated to raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health. At Kellogg Company, we recognize WMHD with a full slate of programs, regionally and globally, during the month of October and throughout the year.

This work is very personal to me. I discovered the importance of managing my mental health at the young age of 21. At that time, I was mentally exhausted—working and going to college full-time, volunteering at a suicide-prevention hotline, and writing a 200-page thesis.

And then I lost my favorite person in the world to cancer—my grandpa. I had a mental breakdown and ended up fainting in the middle of one of my college evening courses, waking up on a stretcher surrounded by emergency workers and police officers. I knew I needed to focus on my mental health.

I learned how to eat and workout for my mental wellbeing. I got a dog, which gave my life a completely new sense of purpose and happiness. I learned it was okay to lean in on the people that love me and seek professional help when I need it. Applying these concepts slowly but surely helped me to emotionally thrive. These are all concepts that many years later are still part of my mental health routine to help me be the best wife, stepmom, dog mom, friend, and employee I can be.

Kellogg's commitment to employee wellbeing is one of the many reasons I am proud to work here. In 2019, we introduced our My Total Health framework covering physical, financial, emotional and social health to focus on encouraging employees to show up as our complete and authentic selves, sharing the full complexity and richness of who we are and embracing our lives in and out of work.

We're committed to working together to promote the mental health and wellbeing of employees, under our Emotional Health pillar, by destigmatizing mental health at work, encouraging support and providing education to continuously enhance our workplace culture, ultimately empowering employees to face the demands of life, big and small, with emotional strength and security. In honor of WMHD, we've also launched Mindfulness Moment videos featuring our beloved brands.

For me, holistic wellbeing makes a huge difference, and I'm so happy to be able to bring this commitment to my work at Kellogg. We offer a wide variety of other education programs and training in all our regions, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. But we're not stopping here. Emotional wellbeing continues to be a focus area for us in 2023 and beyond.

At Kellogg Company, our vision is a good and just world where people are not just fed but fulfilled. We are creating better days and a place at the table for everyone through our trusted food brands. Our brands include Pringles, Cheez-It, Special K, Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, Pop-Tarts, Kellogg's Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, Eggo, Mini-Wheats, Kashi, RXBAR, MorningStar Farms, and more. Net sales in 2021 were nearly $14.2 billion, comprised principally of snacks as well as convenience foods like cereal, frozen foods, and noodles. As part of our Kellogg's Better Days ESG strategy, we're addressing the interconnected issues of wellbeing, climate, and food security, creating Better Days for 3 billion people by the end of 2030.

Kellogg’s is on the current Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery “Top 50 Snack & Bakery Companies” list. Click here to view the current “Top 50” rankings.