Mental Health Awareness Month: What to Know and How to Celebrate
May marks the beginning of Mental Health Awareness Month. Whether you’ve seen social media posts or articles about this designation, or you work at an organization that is discussing plans for the month, you might be curious about its purpose.
Additionally, seeing reminders about the importance of caring for your mental health could have prompted you to think about emotional troubles that you’ve been dealing with, or caused you to realize that a friend may be struggling.
Overall, Mental Health Awareness Month can serve as a catalyst for positive change, even if you do not work in the mental health field. Let’s explore the background of Mental Health Awareness Month, as well as a few things that you can do to acknowledge this month.
What Is Mental Health Awareness Month?
Even if you’ve seen information about Mental Health Awareness Month before, you might be wondering what it really means. Overall, this month is all about recognizing the importance of caring for our mental health.
Despite the lessening stigma around talking about mental health, many people still feel discouraged from sharing their mental health struggles. They might also feel awkward about reaching out to friends who seem to be having difficulty. This is a time to critique your own misconceptions about mental health and identify areas where you may still be harboring shame.
Reflect on Your Own Emotions
Mental Health Awareness Month is the perfect time to look inward and ask yourself how you’re really feeling. This is the time to be honest. You could try to write in a journal and let all of your feelings out. Depending on your circumstances and emotional state, you may find yourself reflecting on your gratitude and contentment for your life. However, you may have also reached a point where you need to admit to yourself that you’ve been grappling with symptoms of anxiety, depression, or another mental health condition.
Practice Self-Care
Maybe you’ve been pushing self-care to the wayside. It’s easy to forget about self-care when you’re busy with work, school, family obligations, or other responsibilities. But if you don’t care for your basic needs, you might find yourself suffering from burnout. Make sure that you’re getting enough sleep, eating three nutritious meals per day, drinking enough water, and getting some physical activity in your week, even if it’s just taking walks around the block!
Check in With Your Friends
Sometimes, we assume that if our friends seem like they’re doing fine on the outside, nothing could possibly be wrong. We could even view certain people in our social circles as exceptionally “strong” and believe that they rarely need help or support. But you never know how someone is feeling unless you really ask and listen. Check in on your friends to see how they’re doing. You might be surprised by who really needs your support.
Consider How You Can Help Your Community
Mental health isn’t just an individual concern. It’s also a societal issue. Today, many people struggle with isolation and loneliness because they don’t have strong communities. Many don’t have the financial resources to access professional mental healthcare. You could consider volunteering with a mental health organization that helps people access therapy services at reduced costs, or explore opportunities to create better work-life balance in your workplace. You can make a difference in the lives of others by advocating for mental healthcare!
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Has Mental Health Awareness month made you realize that it’s time to reach out for help? It may be a good idea to connect with a therapist. Contact us to schedule your online therapy appointment and discuss your options.