May is Mental Health Month
HEALTH and WELLNESS CORNER
What is Mental Health? According to the Mayo Clinic, Mental Health is "The overall wellness of how you think, behave and manage your feelings. A mental health condition may be present when patterns or changes in thinking, feeling or behaving cause distress or disrupt a person's ability to do daily activities.”
What can YOU do to support your mental health? Here are a few tips from Psychology Today:
- Practice self-compassion. Treat yourself like you would a friend. Work to avoid constant self-criticism.
- Recognize that you are not a robot or machine. Take breaks and relax. Get outside. Time in the elements – air, water, fire, and earth are beneficial to the brain, body, and soul.
- Step it up. We are wired to walk. If you are not able-bodied, utilize activity that is available to you.
- Avoid social comparison. Use examples of success as motivation, not self-sabotage.
- Use music as therapy. Listen to music, make music, sing, and dance. Neurologist Oliver Sacks asserts that music “can lift us out of depression when nothing else can.”
- Research shows that people who give their time to contribute positively to the lives of others tend to flourish.
- Count your blessings. Studies show that practicing gratitude boosts mental health.
- Enlist a therapist or coach. Seek help from a professional to develop coping skills and strategies.