Mental Health Awareness Month
Mental illness is something that most people shy away from talking about. It tends to be a controversial topic that at times leaves individuals feeling lost and alone. However, mental illness is as real as cancer or any physical harm that is done to your body. It is an illness that requires attention, love, and care. It's not to be swept under a rug as though it does not exist but to allow for open conversation in hopes for healing.
As a school counselor I continue to educate my students, parents, and staff on the importance of addressing mental illness. I enjoy teaching my students self-care practices and coping skills to help them deal with stressors of life. It is important for them to be aware and know self-care strategies as they grow into productive and functioning adults.
The month of May is Mental Health Awareness Month and it is a great opportunity for family, friends, and colleagues to come together and support those that may be struggling. One of the biggest components that can help individuals struggling with mental illness is self-care.
Did you know there are 5 different ways to self-care? The areas self-care falls under is physical, mental, social, spiritual, and emotional. I strongly believe that each of these areas can have an impact on your mental health as a whole. Also each of these areas can present some healing and provide you with strategies and tools to increase your mental health. Self-care is purely an act of an individual being intentional in caring for their own physical, mental, emotional, social, or spiritual health.
6 Effective Ways to Self-Care When Battling A Mental Illness
Using a self-care reflection survey-I believe this is one of the single most important things to implement as you are on a self-care journey and facing mental illness. The reason I strongly believe this is because it provides a way to self-check yourself and where your mindset is. It is not a tool to diagnose you but a means of seeing how you are caring for yourself. This is a tool that offers the opportunity for individuals to monitor and reflect on their mental state and provide ideas to help manage it. This can help you take back some control of what you think you may have lost. Click here to see an example of a self-care reflection survey.
Taking care of your physical body- How important is this self-care idea? I would say it is very important because it truly can offer stability to your mental health. It consists of different components when taking care of your physical body. This consist of:
Eating healthy meals
Getting a good night's rest with plenty of sleep
Staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water
Staying away from harmful drugs
Getting some form of exercising into your routine. Check out 7 Ways to Make Stretching Fun to get some fun ideas for your stretching routine.
Allow your circle to be filled with good people-Having people in your life that have a strong connection with family and friends tends to help when dealing with a mental illness. It is crucial to build a healthy social life so you’re not feeling alone. It provides a healthy dose of support especially in your dark days. If you don’t have a strong family connection try joining different groups such as clubs or classes for support.
Using Strategies to deal with life’s stressors-One thing for sure sometimes when battling a mental illness stressors of life can definitely be a trigger. Unfortunately, we all have to deal with unpresidential things that pop up in our lives. The key is to become more aware of different strategies and coping skills to use when stressful situations occur. From there it’s important to learn how to use them and to start implementing it when the opportunity comes.
Build in time for therapeutic activities-I would say this is a definite must do self-care tip for anyone. There are so many different types of therapeutic activities that can help ease your mind. Here is my top 3 activities:
Taking a walk in nature is a simple yet fulfilling therapeutic activity to do. I personally find myself doing this a lot. I enjoy hearing the birds, streams of water, or even the trees blowing in the wind. There is a sense of calmness that this activity provides.
Journaling is a means of expressing yourself without having to speak a word. This activity allows you to share what’s on your mind. You could also be intentional in your journaling by incorporating some mindfulness. This will allow you to focus directly on the moment of the here and now.
If you are a social butterfly and love to talk, another great therapeutic activity could be having tea or coffee with a friend. I personally can say that this activity many times saved my sanity just by being with someone that I know cares about me. Surrounding yourselves with friends brings the emotion of happiness.
Seeking help when needed-There is no shame in reaching out for help when necessary. Part of your self-care is knowing when you feel you are at your breaking point and need that additional support. This can be from a family, friend, or a professional. Speaking up and advocating for yourself is so important. The most important thing to know is that help is always available.
Mental Health America
The pandemic has placed a strain on many people and their mental health. People who suffer from a mental illness may have found themselves struggling even more during this time. Mental Health America provides informative resources and tools that can support those that are struggling. It also provides information to family and friends that may need more tools and knowledge about mental health so they can support their loved ones in a more effective way.
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