# Outdoor Activity Challenges L.L.Bean is Inviting People Outside for Mental Health Awareness Month By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2023-05-03 | Marketing Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mental-health-awareness-month References: [footwearnews](https://footwearnews.com/2023/business/retail/ll-bean-social-media-mental-health-awareness-month-1203454777/) & [mhanational.org](https://mhanational.org/llbean?nav=F3tE-518648)  For Mental Health Awareness Month, [L.L.Bean](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/be-an-outsider-1) is going off the grid by taking a social media break and encouraging followers to do the same in favor of spending more time outdoors this spring. On May 1st, the outdoor retailer pared its social media channels back with the intention of sharing tips and tools to support those who are also interested in getting outside for their own mental well-being. Beyond clearing its social media profiles of content, the brand teamed up with [Strava](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/zero-missed-workouts) so that users can log their outdoor time in the social fitness app via the L.L.Bean Feel-Good Challenge. As part of this initiative, L.L.Bean is aiming to generate a combined 500,000 hours outside during the month of May. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.4/10 - Popularity: 17% | Activity: 41% | Freshness: 15% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Marketing](https://www.trendhunter.com/marketing) > [Interactive](https://www.trendhunter.com/interactive) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Outdoor Mindfulness Practices:** Brands can explore creating mindfulness and wellness experiences to promote the benefits of spending time in nature. - **Offline Challenges:** Organizations can leverage the trend of taking social media breaks to create offline challenges and activities that promote wellness and mental health. - **Social Fitness Apps:** Companies can create partnerships with social fitness apps to encourage users to log outdoor activities and create a sense of community around physical and mental wellness. ### Who This Affects Most - **Outdoor Retail:** Retailers in the outdoor industry can capitalize on the mental health benefits of outdoor activities by promoting and creating products that enhance the experience. - **Wellness and Mindfulness:** Brands focused on wellness and mindfulness can expand their offerings to include outdoor activities and experiences that promote mental well-being. - **Social Fitness:** Social fitness apps and platforms can partner with other brands and organizations to promote outdoor activities for mental and physical well-being. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Retailer Mental Health Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/be-an-outsider-1.md) - [Mental Health Branding Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mental-health-awareness-month1.md) - [Mindful Mental Health Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/2023-mental-health-awareness-month-campaign.md) - [Complimentary Movement-Focused Workouts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/world-mental-health-day.md) - [Outdoorsy Branding Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rei-coop1.md) - [Nature-Reconnecting Outdoor Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/reconnect-with-nature.md) - [Action-Oriented Mental Health Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tuned-in-to-mental-health.md) - [Wellness-Promoting Employee Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/summer-of-sport.md) - [Outdoor-Themed Summer Sweepstakes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/summer-sweepstakes1.md)