May is Mental Health Month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we know with the current COVID-19 pandemic,
bringing awareness to good mental health is more important than ever. All of us are
stressed to the max ... it would be strange if we were not! It's natural today to
feel lots of different ways. While this pandemic is creating trauma for us all, it
does not have to define our mental health. We can feel empowered by how we respond:
Get Educated. The National Institute of Mental Health has some great mental wellness resources to help yourself or someone you know.
Help Others. We are wired to connect with others and in difficult times we often want
to contribute. When you feel strong, give. When you need help, ask for it.
Focus on Purpose. No matter what you are doing, even if it is just staying home, you
are contributing to the greater good. Find your own meaning in the bigger picture.
Establish a Routine. You've heard this a thousand times, but it works! Routines normalize,
and bring some predictability and control to our lives. Need some help with this?
Reach out to others and set routines with them.
Communicate. (A lot!) As humans, we need attachment to healthy, safe people to thrive,
so reach out to others. Set up daily/weekly chats or meetings with people who have
your best interest at heart. Don't have a group yet? Start one!
Focus on Post-Traumatic Growth. There is a life after COVID-19. Give yourself permission
to feel down, but reach out and connect. Remind yourself you will get through this.
We know life will be different. There was the "before" COVID-19, now there is the
"after." So start planning today what you will include in your "after."
- American Medical Association: Managing Mental Health During COVID-19
- Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Emotional Well-Being During the COVID-19 Outbreak
- The Jed Foundation: COVID-19 and Managing Mental Health (children and teen resources)