May — Mental Health Awareness Month

Mental Health Awareness

You may be aware that May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and it’s not just a time for us to talk about depression and anxiety. Mental health is about your overall well-being: how you feel about yourself, the quality of your relationships, the way you cope with stress, and so much more.

So this month let’s make sure we’re taking care of ourselves in all areas of our lives — not just when we’re feeling down or anxious, but every day.

Self-Care TipsSelf-care should be a priority in each of our lives. So this month, let’s make it a point to prioritize our well-being.

Here are some tips on how to practice your own self-care:

• Eat well and exercise regularly

• Get at least eight hours of sleep each night

• Practice meditation or yoga

• Venture outdoors and enjoy nature

• Utilize all five senses (hear, see, taste, touch, and smell)

Many of us can feel guilty when taking time for ourselves, but it is important to remember that self-care isn’t selfish; it’s simply something that we all need in order to reset and thrive.

Mental Health Is A Topic That Is Often StigmatizedIt’s important to be aware of our own mental health issues, but it is also crucial that we understand the importance of supporting people who have them. Mental health is often overlooked, stigmatized, and misunderstood — but we can change this by spreading awareness about how common these problems are, how common it is for people to struggle with them, and how many successful treatments there are available today.

Talking openly about mental illness, instead of keeping quiet about our own experiences with depression or anxiety disorders like PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), can aid in others’ willingness to also share and more importantly seek the help they need.

How You Can Help

The best way you can help someone struggling with mental illness is to be kind and compassionate.

Mental health stigma persists, but with the right awareness and education, it can be overcome. With that in mind:

• Help fight the stigma on mental health. It’s easy to assume that someone who is experiencing mental illness has always had those problems, but this isn’t true — and certainly not fair. Someone going through a particularly difficult time might need extra support from those around them as they recover from their struggles.

• Be aware of advocacy efforts for people with mental illnesses that are being undertaken by organizations like NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). As an ally to those living with mental illness, you can help spread this important message about what it means for everyone when people remain silent about their struggles or fail to give others the tools they need for healthy self-care during difficult times in life.

Want to learn more?Visit www.NAMI.org

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) is a wonderful organization working towards bringing awareness to mental illness.

If you’d like to learn more about E-Therapy and how our work helps schools all over the United States, please visit our Mental Health Remote Therapy page and follow us on social media to get to know us.