MAY is Mental Health Awareness Month

 

May is Mental Health Awareness Month! The 2023 theme from Mental Health America (MHA) is Look Around, Look Within. 

The world around us can be both positive and negative - bringing joy and sadness, hope and anxiety. As humans, our overall health is significantly impacted by our natural and built environment. The places we live, work, play, and congregate all have a powerful influence on our well-being. It makes sense to consider their effects on our mental health.

During Mental Health Awareness Month, InnerAct Alliance will share some of the practical resources offered by Mental Health America on how to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and encourage you to support your own mental health as well as the health of those in your community. We can do that by learning about how to create mentally healthy and safe spaces and how to alter or change our surroundings to better support mental health.

A few suggestions to incorporate in your daily activities this week may be:

* Try to find 15 minutes to get some sunlight - if that isn't an option, use a daylight lamp or a blue light lamp when you spend all day indoors.

* Create a "favorite things" corner, basket, or space with pictures of people/things you love, textures that bring you joy, or your favorite color.

* Remember that your mind and body are connected. Use your space to assist you with physical movement - find a good spot to stretch, practice yoga, or other exercises you can do at home.

* Write down affirmations or notes that you can look at throughout the day. These could go in your home or car to serve as reminders as you go about your day. 

* Play music instead of watching TV when you have downtime at home.

Learn more about how your environment impacts your mind and what you can do about it by visiting https://mhanational.org/mental-health-month