May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and what could be more important than a month of reminders to take care of ourselves and others? This is a great time to spread awareness, become educated, advocate for those who are suffering and share resources.

Gone are the times when mental health was something that people didn’t talk about. This month, and every month, we have the opportunity to break the stigma of mental illness and talk more openly about mental health.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness website, the message for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Month is “Take the Moment.” This is all about taking moments to prioritize mental health.

“Our mental health journey starts with a single moment,” it states on the site. That single moment can be a time when we reach out for help, begin daily self-care practices, call someone to check in, make an appointment with a mental health professional, think a positive thought about ourselves, realize it’s OK to not be OK, or educate ourselves about mental health symptoms.

Mental health plays a large role in our overall well-being. “When you’re mentally healthy, you are able to enjoy your life and the people in it, feel good about yourself, keep up good relationships, and deal with stress. It’s normal for your mental health to shift over time — we all face difficult situations in our lives. Creating positive habits is a great way to support your mental health when you’re doing well and helps you build skills to use if you do face symptoms of a mental health condition,” it states on Mental Health America‘s website.

So, how can we increase and maintain good mental health? According to MHA, making good choices about food and nutrition, exercising regularly, maintaining healthy sleep habits, building our coping skills, having a positive support system of family members and friends, and practicing stress management can all help.

Other ways to practice self-care could be taking a few minutes each day to practice meditation and mindfulness, reading a good book, listening to music, taking a walk and going outside every day — no matter the weather. Whatever self-care means to us, we can begin today to put it into place.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is focusing on weekly themes throughout this month. The first week of May is about supporting older adults and their mental health. From May 5-11, the focus is on raising awareness of mental health in children and teens. The third week is about supporting maternal mental health and the complex emotional journey that this time of life brings. May 19-25 is focusing on mental health in minority groups, and the last week of the month focuses on LGBTQIA+ communities.

For some great information about mental health and finding a suitable therapist, check out PG Cares, Wasatch Behavioral Health or NAMI. All can be found on Facebook.

Let’s use this month to get into the habits of speaking up, looking out for, seeking help and taking care. Make mental health a priority for yourself and your loved ones.

Newsletter