May is National Mental Health Awareness Month
May is National Mental Health Awareness Month! To recognize this, we wanted to raise awareness about the National Institute of Mental Health’s (NIMH) resources related to mental health and support the conversation about mental illness.
Mental health includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Good mental health can help us cope with stress and improve our quality of life; and self-care can play a role in maintaining our mental health. Self-care means taking the time for ourselves to improve both our physical health and mental health.
While self-care looks different for each of us, here are some self-care tips from the NIMH that can have a big impact on our lives:
- Get regular exercise
- Eat healthy, regular meals and stay hydrated
- Make sleep a priority
- Try a relaxing activity
- Set goal and priorities
- Practice Gratitude
- Focus on positivity
- Stay connected
Additional help
However, even with self-care, the NIMH recognizes that there may be times when we need to seek professional help, especially if you are experiencing any of the following for over two weeks.
- Difficulty sleeping
- Changes in appetite or unplanned weight changes
- Difficulty getting out of bed in the morning because of mood
- Difficulty concentrating
- Loss of interest in things you usually find enjoyable
- Inability to complete usual tasks and activities
- Feelings of irritability, frustration, or restlessness
If you have concerns about your mental health, talk to a primary care provider. To learn more about seeking professional help, speaking with your health care provider, and more details from the original article, please visit the NIMH website.
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