Mental Health Awareness
May is mental health awareness month. Did you know that roughly 1 in 4 American adults suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year?
And yet so many of us focus or prioritize our physical health over our mental health. The two are a package deal! While the practice of placing shame on people suffering with mental illness continues to this day, there are some tools we can use.
Share Your Feelings - Find a person you feel safe with to share your thoughts, feelings, and concerns with. This is a person who won’t judge you, offer empathy, and pose questions for you to find some answers within yourself. The best people for this are licensed therapists and counselors.
Support Those Who Are Breaking the Shame - It’s completely okay if you don’t feel comfortable talking about your mental health issues with a lot of people. You can still support those who are comfortable with it. Share educational posts about mental health and help spread the word of the importance of mental health programs.
Make Time to Reset - As busy professionals our calendars are stacked with scheduled meetings and tasks. Are we scheduling time for breaks though? We need time to walk away from the bustle and the screens. Try adding in 5-10 minute breaks on your calendar. Actually schedule these in your planner or calendar! These breaks will help you reset, turn down the inner critic, and quiet the overwhelm.
Move Your Body - Moving our bodies isn’t just for physical health; it’s for mental health too. Remember I said earlier that these two are connected. When we walk or exercise we’re releasing endorphins that boost our mood. So if you’re feeling in a funk, go for a walk, even if it’s just walking from one room to the next throughout your house. Walk around, dance, stretch, run...do whatever feels good to you in that moment to boost your spirits.
Get Creative - Do you remember playing as a kid and doing lots of crafts? It was fun to just make stuff without judgment. You can still do that and actually, it’s super beneficial for our mental health to do this. Allowing our logical minds a break to get creative taps into those mood boosting endorphins serotonin and dopamine again. So pull out some watercolors, finger paints, crayons, yarn, rope, Legos, or whatever you want to play creatively.
I personally suffer from anxiety and complex PTSD. I rely heavily on a therapist, yoga, tons of books and audio books, and some amazing non-judgmental friends for my mental health. If you’re struggling with any mental health issues, please reach out to someone. If you are looking for a therapist, I’m happy to recommend a few in the metro Detroit area.
You don’t need to hide and struggle alone. Please reach out for support.
Looking for more tips on balance? Download this FREE cheat sheet on 8 Ways to Stay Balanced.