This year’s World Mental Health Day, marked on 10 October, comes at a time when our lives have been brought up with so many challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. That is why Princess Katherine’s Foundation is now, more than ever, focused on working on projects aimed to help and raise awareness of the importance of mental health.

New reality struck us all. There is no person unaffected emotionally by coronavirus and everything that was happening around us. So now, more than ever, mental health matters and we should openly talk about it. No matter if you are a teenager or older, taking care of our mind is important at every stage of our lives and just as we help ourselves, so should we help others. Often in Serbia, I notice that people ask each other on the street or in the aisle how are you, but no one stops to listen to the response of the other person. And that little attention can save someone’s day, even a life. So, next time when you ask those three magic words, listen to people and be certain that they listen to you too. Anyone can have a bad day, but it doesn’t mean that it’s a bad life. How we respond to it and take care of our mental health is what is important. So, permit yourself to ask for help. Your physical and mental health are most valuable, and life is truly a gift from God.

HRH Crown Princess Katherine