Mental Health Awareness Month!

May is mental health awareness month! One of the most important questions you can ask yourself is how you prioritize mental health!

If the pandemic has taught us anything, let it be that your mental health matters. YOU matter. Mental health awareness month is about spreading the important message that you are not alone. The pandemic has ultimately caused many people to feel isolated, stressed, and worried, including the millions of people already living with mental illness. Not just adults but children as well. How you deal with stress may no longer be an option for you, after the pandemic, either from fewer funds, vacations are not safe, gyms, parks, concerts, all of these things we have done in the past to relieve stress can cause more stress now. One in five Americans experiences depression, anxiety, or another mental illness. This is not a time to feel more stressed doing what we once loved to relieve stress.

Unfortunately, society's stigma on mental illness does not seem to be going anywhere. Mental health awareness month is about recognizing our mental health, but it is about what we can do to stop the stigma.

Below are TEN helpful tips to promote overall mental health:

1. Meditation/yoga

2. Reading

3. Watching a movie/tv show

4. Journaling/blogging

5. Art - being creative

6. Exercising

7. Cooking/baking

8. Dance

9. Disconnect from social media - turn your phone off for a couple of days

10. Spend time with furry friends

Below are FOUR helpful tips to stop the stigma:

1. It is important for those of you who know someone with a mental illness to see the person and not the condition.

2. If you think someone has challenges, offer support, and provide resources for them without being pushy. Finding someone to speak to can feel overwhelming, so offering support can go long.

3. Labels. The world loves their labels. Try and refrain from using harmful labels: use respectful language when talking about mental health conditions.

4. Is there someone out there spreading misinformation/misconceptions? Challenge them if you feel safe. Correct their harmful labels.

In addition to the tips above, here are other ways to understand and/or improve your mental well-being or your child's mental well-being.

1. Sign up for mental health first aid training to teach you the skills to identify and respond to behavioral health challenges/crisis signs. *note, this first aid training is for Arizona only. Each state provides its own, some art more specific towards youth, seniors, etc.

2. Have more conversations with your children/students about mental health. Introduce techniques that help children and young adults learn more about themselves and maintain healthy relationships with people in their lives. Discuss the following topics:

   • Emotional regulation

   • Problem-solving

   • Interpersonal relationships

   • Assertive communication

   • Stress identification

3. Mental Health Check-in. If you saw our post back in February about Check-in System, awesome! If you have not, we encourage you to check it out. These are a fantastic way to see how your students or children are doing. We do not ask how someone is doing enough and actually change our approach based on their response and non-verbal cues.