Mental Health Awareness Month: Prioritizing Your State of Mind
Spring. The word just sounds happy.
But the season often associated with new growth and fresh starts can also be packed with heavy schedules and high stress, which can take a toll on anyone’s mental health.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and it’s important to remember that mental health is just as important as physical health.
WellStone, Madison County’s nonprofit community mental health center, serves more than 12,000 children, teens, and adults every year. Our teams know that mental health can greatly affect physical health and vice versa, so it’s best to keep both in check.
At WellStone, we often emphasize the importance of self-care, which the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) defines as “taking the time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical health and mental health.”
Fortunately, self-care involves simple steps you can easily roll into your daily and weekly routines. NIMH recommendations include:
- Exercising regularly. Keep it simple! Studies show that walking 30 minutes per day, five days a week, can dramatically improve your mental health. If 30 minutes sounds too strenuous, start with a stroll around the block. Walk to the mailbox and back if that’s all you can do at first. Just get moving!
- Get plenty of sleep. You’re a parent, and you’ve been preaching this to your kids for years. Now it’s time to take your own advice. The National Sleep Foundation recommends seven – nine hours of sleep per night for adults, but we are all built differently. Listen to your body–and your mind. Both will tell you when you need more shuteye. (Don’t forget to set aside electronics before bedtime, just like you tell your children.)
- Eat healthy, regular meals, and stay hydrated. Try steering your family toward healthy meals and regular, structured mealtimes. Drink plenty of water and avoid excessive amounts of coffee and alcohol.
- Try relaxing activities. Yoga and meditations may come to mind when you think about relaxing activities (and they are great!) but what works for you? Listen to your favorite music, read, paint, play fetch with your dog, or take a hot bubble bath. Stay connected. Don’t forget to check in on friends, family, and neighbors, and if you’re struggling, reach out to someone you trust, whether a close friend, a Church leader, a therapist, or all the above.
WellStone therapist Marion Ruffing, LPC, LVT, said the NIMH list is “absolutely on target,” but would add, “Have fun, laugh, and look at the positives and gratefulness in life.”
While self-care is an excellent start, it’s not always enough. More and more people are seeing therapists–even when things are going well. After all, a good counselor can help keep you grounded in good times, but also help you navigate the bad, sad, and stressful times. If needed, they can also refer you to a psychiatrist (a medical doctor specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, and, in some cases, prevention of mental illnesses).
You can ask your family physician for a referral or call WellStone’s Access to Care line at 256-705-6444. However, if you’re concerned that your mental health is declining and your condition is escalating, Wellstone offers more immediate options. For starters, you can call the 9-8-8 Lifeline to speak to a crisis-trained counselor.
You can also request a Mobile Crisis Team. With adult and pediatric units available, these mental health professionals can meet people where they are, literally, whether it’s at school, home, or a fast-food restaurant. You can also visit WellStone Emergency Services at 4020 Memorial Parkway SW. WES offers urgent, 24/7 care for individuals ages 12 and up facing mental health and/or substance use emergencies. Drop-offs and walk-ins are welcome, but staff recommend calling ahead (256-705-6444) to ensure availability.
For decades, even centuries, societies have misunderstood and mistreated mental illnesses, along with those suffering from these conditions. In North Alabama, we are making great strides—talking about mental health, increasing access to care, and recognizing that we all have it, just like we all have physical health. But we still have a long way to go.
The more we prioritize this area of our overall health, the stronger and healthier our bodies, minds, and even our communities are likely to be, during Mental Health Awareness Month and all year long.
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