The theme of Mental Health Awareness Month this May is “Turn Awareness into Action.” Originally known as “Mental Health Month,” the month-long special media, local events, and film screenings were first observed in 1949.
According to Mental Health America, the national nonprofit that created and continues to spearhead it, this year’s goal is to celebrate “the progress we’ve made in recognizing the importance of mental health—and challenging us to turn understanding into meaningful steps toward change.”
What better time than now to turn your own understanding of mental health’s importance into meaningful steps to create positive change in your own life?
This means caring enough about your mental health to put in the work it takes to support and build it. And that involves engaging in practices that promote your well-being—such as developing coping skills, practicing gratitude, and seeking support when you need it. It requires a consistent effort to improve your mental and emotional health, which also includes caring for your physical health.
Here are nine specific ways to build and support your mental health during this Mental Health Awareness Month—and every month to come:
- Develop coping skills: This involves learning strategies to manage stress, negative emotions, and the challenges you face in a healthy way. These may include practicing relaxation techniques, choosing deliberately to focus on positive emotions and not letting negative emotions dominate you. It can also mean taking breaks from negative information, or reading the news rather than watching it on TV where graphic images can be very disturbing.
- Prioritize self-care: Activities that promote physical health—like taking a walk or focusing on a favorite hobby—also support your mental health. Getting enough sleep and eating a balanced nutritious diet are other ways to care for yourself.
- Practice gratitude: Focusing intentionally on the positive aspects of your life and being thankful for what you have is a great way to disrupt the negativity that can cloud your sight of the good things.
- Seek support: Committing yourself to care for your mental health might mean reaching out to friends, family, or mental health professionals when you need support beyond your own ability to remain steady and strong.
- Build healthy relationships: Connection is vital to our mental health and well-being. Building strong connections can have a powerful impact on your well-being, so nurturing healthy relationships is hugely important.
- Set boundaries: Learn to say “no” and protect your time and energy to maintain a healthy work-life balance and to enjoy healthy, balanced relationships with others. It’s also important to learn to distinguish “what is mine” and “what is not mine” in your relationships to take appropriate responsibility and prevent unnecessarily blaming yourself for something you didn’t cause or do.
- Play and relax: Make time for activities you enjoy, whether it’s reading, listening to music, hiking in the woods, engaging in a hobby, or something else that helps you feel relaxed and engaged—and isn’t about work. These activities help you stay connected to other parts of yourself you like.
- Practice mindfulness: Don’t just “stop and smell the roses.” Consider them. Think about their beauty, their petals and thorns. Truly notice them. Pay similar attention to the people around you, or the meal you are enjoying. Think about the love that went into preparing it, the work that went into growing or raising it. Be present and fully occupy your moments.
- Be kind to yourself: Maybe above all else, treat yourself with the compassion and understanding that you would show a dear friend—especially when you are going through a challenging time. The very last thing you want to do is berate yourself over mistakes (we all make them) or failures. “Lick your wounds” as needed, but don’t infect them by putting yourself down.
The rewards for doing the work to stay mentally healthy include a sense of balance, calmness, and confidence. There is a lot of satisfaction to be had from knowing your work is paying off with robust mental health and well-being.
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