Mental Health Awareness

By Karen Duffy, Chief Development Officer

EveryMind

. http://www.every-mind.org

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Mental Health Awareness

This May will mark the 70th anniversary of Mental Health Awareness month. The campaign was originally designed as a way to educate the public and raise awareness about mental illnesses. Today, it continues to serve as a way to combat the stigma still associated with mental health issues and emphasizes the importance of taking care of our mental health just like we take care of our physical health.

In today’s world, our mental health is often under assault in a variety of ways never before experienced by our parents or grandparents. With the advent of social media, the 24-hour news cycle and novel ways to connect with others at any given point in the day, we rarely have a moment to ourselves to relax, reflect and recharge. Therefore, it’s important to be intentional about making time to take care of ourselves, disconnect from the outside world and pay attention to what our bodies and minds are telling us they need.

Self-care is an essential part of maintaining mental health and wellness. It is not selfish, nor is it a sign of weakness, to take time for ourselves. Self-care looks different for every person. It can be as simple as carving out five minutes at the end of the day to meditate, taking a walk around the block during lunch or enjoying a meal with family. When we cease to take care of ourselves, several things can happen. We can develop new or exacerbate existing physical or emotional health issues. We may negatively affect social relationships or find that our work performance suffers. When we aren’t taking care of ourselves, it’s impossible to be there for others. There’s wisdom in the requirement when flying to affix your own oxygen mask before the mask of others traveling with you. You must help yourself first, so that you are able to help others later.

In celebration of Mental Health Awareness month, take a moment to identify one or two activities that bring peace and sense of calm to your life. Then make a plan to build those activities into your daily routine, even if it’s just for 10-20 minutes each day. At the end of the month, reflect upon whether devoting that time to taking care of yourself made a difference in your energy, outlook and mental health. If not, try other activities. If so, keep it up.