TOMS for Mental Health

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When you buy TOMS, you help fund access to mental health resources.

Wear TOMS. WEAR GOOD.

Mental Health Tips

Mental Health is a deeply personal and unique journey. Regardless of where you or someone in your community is at, it’s always a good idea to invest in your mental health. TOMS aims to make it easier by providing resources and tips, all thanks to your purchases.

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Share Good!

Sharing is caring. We encourage you to join us on social to share mental health resources with your community and learn about all the ways you can Wear Good. Because impact looks good on you.

Share Good! Pay forward a kindness that someone has done for you.

By paying it forward, you identify and acknowledge something good and you actively think of others in your community who could benefit from it.

Explore all the mental health tips and resources TOMS offers, backed by non-profit partners working tirelessly in communities, all thanks to customer purchases.

Complete the Be There Certificate.

Help support the mental health of someone in your community by signing up for the Be There Certificate from Jack.org and learning the 5 Golden Rules.

Say what you see: Describe any changes you've noticed in them. Don't judge. Don't make assumptions.
Show you care: Simply knowing someone is there for you can make a huge difference. Actions speak louder than words.
Hear them out: Open up space for them to speak. Ask follow up questions and validate how they're feeling.
Know your role: Set boundaries to protect your relationship and your own mental health.
Connect to help: Offer support to help them find resources, get help and know what to expect.

The course takes 2-3 hours to complete and can be taken in small sections so it's easy to fit into your schedule.

Get started on your Be There Certification

Throw on your TOMS and go for a walk outside.

According to the American Psychological Association, about 20 minutes of exercise a day can help reduce the risk of depression by 25% and boost your mood.

Find a volunteer opportunity in your area.

Volunteering has been proven to reduce stress and increase overall health and satisfaction with life. When you help other people, it activates the reward center in your brain and releases serotonin, dopamine and endorphins.

Points of Light and VolunteerMatch are two resources to get you started!

Find something to celebrate today.

And it doesn't need to be big. Life is full of small victories and the more we practice identifying and celebrating them, the more likely we are to experience positive mental health.

Program 988 into your phone and share it with 2 (or more!) friends.

988 is the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and is a 3-digit number that connects those experiencing any mental health and/or substance-related crises with a trained counselor via phone or text.

Create a supportive environment for LGBTQ+ youth by using their correct pronouns.

Respecting a person’s pronouns is one way to provide a protective, inclusive space, promote well-being and reduce their risk of suicide by helping them feel like they belong. Feeling a sense of belonging is a key protective factor for strong mental health and suicide prevention.

Our Impact Partner Brave Trails shared how asking someone what pronouns they use is a simple way to learn the most respectful and correct way to refer to them. You can help make any space feel more inclusive by leading with your own pronouns. Example: “Hi, I'm Tom. I use he/they pronouns. What pronouns do you use?”

For more information on pronouns, visit GLSEN's resource guide

Let someone know they are doing an amazing job.

Gratitude and recognition makes people feel valued, and positive feedback has been shown to mitigate the negative effects of stress.

Listen to music.

Many studies have shown that listening to music can lower your blood pressure and your heart rate (both spike when you're stressed), and even lower stress hormones in your body.

Here is a playlist of songs that make us feel good.

Declutter your closet via TOMS partnership with threadUP!

Clutter can make it hard to focus and cause decision fatigue and stress. Plus knowing that your preloved items can find a new home rather than end up in a landfill should help boost your mood.

Get started with a thredUP clean out kit and earn credit to TOMS.com

Take a break and color of draw.

You don't have to be Picasso, simply grab a piece of paper and create something. Coloring promotes mindfulness and is a fun way to relieve some stress.

Here is a printable coloring page to get you started.

Take time to reflect and write a letter with your ancestry in mind.

We come from different histories, triumphs and losses, and our existence is weaved into a larger fabric of community, isolation and identity.

Write a letter to a stranger, with TOMS Impact Partner Letters to Strangers' guidelines and sample letters as guides, and share what your background means to you and what you want to pass on to the future.

Set a boundary.

Notice what drains your energy and keeps you from feeling your best and fill in the blank of this journal prompt from BEAM.

I will name _________ as my boundary.

Black Emotional & Mental Health Collective (BEAM) is an organization dedicated to creating a world where there are no barriers to Black healing.

Learn how to support a friend who is grieving with these 5 steps from TOMS Impact Partner, The Dinner Party.

Acts of care: Small gestures can mean a lot. Write a card, take tasks off their plate, clean their kitchen, take their kids out for the morning.
Be their champion: Advocate for better policies in your workplace, and push back when that friend, family member or coworker pressures them into engaging in social gatherings they might not have bandwidth for.
Offer choice: Share specific ideas, but give them flexibility and agency. Offering choice also means giving them room to share — or not — whatever they wish: Leave room for their own story and ask good questions.
Instill confidence: Loss can sometimes leave us feeling overwhelmed, powerless and damaged (and no: a broken heart does not mean that you are broken). Affirm what they name, and celebrate wins, however small.
Stay consistent: Grief doesn't operate on a calendar, and the impact of a loss doesn't have an end-point. Set reminders to check in, long after the flowers and casseroles have all vanished—around holidays, death anniversaries and ordinary days.

Take a break from social media for 24 hours or set a time limit. Consider unfollowing pages or people that don't make you feel good.

In the meantime, connect with those around you IRL.

Boost your mood. Spend an extra 5 minutes getting dressed or doing your hair today.

Getting dressed in the morning can play a role in your mood throughout the day and lead to further productivity, optimism, motivation and an overall improved mood.

TOMS Impact Partner ProjectQ knows the power of a hairstyle that reflects who you are. They help LGBTQ+ youth navigate a world that perpetually tries to diminish them through gender-affirming haircuts and self-empowerment workshops.

Thanks to our Mental Health Impact Partners

Our partners inspire us everyday. We asked that they help share that inspiration with you.

Learn a bit more about our collective impact

Normalize mental health in your community with these 3 steps from TOMS Impact Partner Que Paso Latinx.

Create connections by sharing your personal lived experiences - helping others to feel less alone.
Educate yourself to better understand what you are feeling and listen to perspectives of those around you. Try to put yourself in their shoes.
Don't be afraid to be different. Shifting perspectives starts with you.

Que Paso Latinx is on a mission to destigmatize mental health through their 3 pillars: Conversations, Community and Culture.

Try a new healthy recipe.

And don't forget, nourishing ourselves is not just about what you eat, but whom you eat it with, and the care that went into making it.

Practice asking someone about suicide so you are ready if the need arises.

Asking someone if they are thinking about suicide doesn't introduce the topic into their head - but it could save their life.

TOMS Impact Partner Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services shares these 5 steps to take if you suspect someone may be considering suicide.

Ask
Keep them safe
Be there
Help them connect
Follow up

Learn more here.

Get some rest. Power nap anyone?

Sleep can have a major impact on our mental well-being. Research suggests naps help improve emotional regulation, including increasing your ability to tolerate frustration and reducing your tendency to be impulsive.

Take a moment to ground yourself to reduce stress.

Slow down and connect with your body.
Slowly breathe out and in.
Slowly press your feet into the floor.
Slowly stretch.
Refocus and engage with the world: What can you see? What can you hear? What can you smell?
Touch something and notice what it feels like under your fingers.
Notice where you are, who is with you and what you're doing.

Please visit our Impact Partner, International Medical Corps' website for more resources including some audio grounding exercises.

Repeat this Mantra: Progress not perfection.

Everyone makes mistakes. Trying to be perfect can lead to depression and anxiety.

Write down 3 things you like about yourself.

A negative outlook on life can lead to stress, anxiety and depression. To break that cycle, focus on the positive.

Practice breathing exercises.

There are many different types of breathing exercises that can help you feel more centered and in control. One technique is box breathing.

Step 1: Breathe in counting to 4 slowly. Feel the air enter your lungs.

Step 2: Hold your breath for 4 seconds. Try to avoid inhaling or exhaling for 4 seconds.

Step 3: Slowly exhale through your mouth for 4 seconds.

Step 4: Repeat steps 1 to 3 until you feel re-centered.

Impact looks good on you.

And thanks to your purchases, together we have done a whole lot of good.

Let’s keep moving forward.

Share these tips & resources with your community.

Wear your impact. Wear TOMS. Wear Good.

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Call a friend or send them a text and make a plan to hangout.

Friendships can be an important aspect of protecting our mental health. Our friends can keep us grounded and help us get things in perspective.

Challenge your brain by learning new skills and engaging in new activities

Take up embroidery or learn how to code. The positive and healthy stimulation will promote mental health and wellness.

Take a moment to notice unhealthy thoughts and try these shifts in thinking suggested by TOMS Impact Partner Homeboy Industries.

“I need love and approval from those around me” --> I have what I need. I am good. I am enough.

“I have to achieve everything that I set out to do to be valuable” --> If I give my best efforts and learn from my mistakes, that is what is most important.

“I avoid rather than face my problems and responsibilities.” --> I can have hard conversations and do hard things.

“I am defined by my past and it is a determinant to my present and future.” --> I am in control of how I grow and evolve.

Support the work of a non-profit by donating needed items, setting up a recurring donation or volunteering your time.

When you help someone or give back, your brain secretes “feel good chemicals” such as: serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin.

Identify your sources of strength.

In a moment of mental health crisis, it can be hard to think clearly about the strength you have within to stabilize.

Take a few minutes to write about any of the following: What have you done in the past to help you get through a tough time? What personal strengths and resources did you draw on?

If you are currently experiencing a mental health crisis - call or text 988 for free access to a trained counselor.

Start the week by de-stressing your desk or space with these tops from our Impact Partner, Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services.

Put your computer on sleep mode
Look away from your screen / close your eyes at least once every 30 minutes
Breathe like you're in a yoga class
Declutter your desk
Make a post work plan

Learn how to find the right mental health service for you with these tips from Jack.org

Think about what your goals are
Ask questions and explore your options - databases, schools and human resources often have a list of resources available
Don't be afraid to ask for help
Not all services will be the right fit - don't lose hope if the first thing you try doesn't work out

Why TOMS supports mental health

Since day one, TOMS has been on a mission to do good through good-looking footwear that feels good on your feet. Together with you, our customers, we have done a whole lot of good with our giving. While you may know us as the Original One for One® company, we have evolved over the years to make sure we are doing the most good we can through our impact. How? Good question. When you buy TOMS, you help fund access to mental health resources for the millions of people who need them (maybe even you someday?).

TOMS is focused on mental health because we are constantly challenging ourselves to do the most good with the resources we have. While our external focus on mental health may be new to most consumers, supporting mental health and emotional well-being has long been a part of TOMS impact story.

2015 - Started supporting the emotional health of young people impacted by bullying
2016 - Mission Measurement conducted and published TOMS Impact assessment in which 87% of responding shoe giving partners stated that TOMS shoes positively affected participants’ emotional well-being
2018/2019 - Started supporting mental health of people and communities impacted by gun violence
2020 - Funded mental health efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic

Mental health is critical to improving lives for individuals and communities, so we believe it’s always a good idea to invest in your mental health. TOMS aims to make it easier by providing resources and tips, all thanks to your purchases. Wear TOMS. Wear Good.