5 Ways to Support Your Mental Health This Mental Health Awareness Month
There is no better time than Mental Health Awareness month to pause and take some time for yourself and your mental health. In the hustle and bustle of our culture, it’s easy to get caught up in our to-do lists, agendas, and others’ needs. Without taking time to attune to and connect with ourselves, we can be left feeling burnt out, dissociated, hopeless, resentful, anxious, or insecure. Oftentimes, consciously or unconsciously, we expect those around us to meet our needs: to make us feel loved/worthy or to take care of us. When we are able to connect with ourselves and become aware of our needs, we can meet them on our own and stop seeking validation and other’s approval. So how can we connect with ourselves? Here are 5 ways to support your mental health this Mental Health Awareness month (and beyond!):
1. Go to therapy
Whether you’re needing a safe space to feel your feelings, guidance in exploring your backstory, or a place to process experiences, therapy is the 60-90 minute block in your week dedicated solely to you and allowing connection with self to blossom! To learn more about REC’s therapist and how they can support you, click here.
2. Go to a support meeting
Emotional wounding happens in secret, isolation, or in private. Often when we experience emotional wounding we internalize the experience of being unseen and unheard. Healing happens in connection, not only with self, but with others too. Sharing our wounding and healing in a group is an integral part to recovery because we have the opportunity to experience something different: to be seen, heard, and witnessed in our pain. Check out a list of free support groups included in this blog.
3. Journal
Taking time to be curious about our internal emotional world can be so beneficial! Allow yourself to freely write without judgement and release all that is being held inside.
4. Meditate
Meditation allows us to become present in the current moment in our body. Even if only for 5 minutes a day, your nervous system will thank you for some much needed connection and grounding. The calm app offers some wonderful guided meditations!
5. Move your body
There are several mental health benefits to treating our body well. Take some time to move your body, like doing some stretches, going for a run, or dancing with a friend and notice how it feels to be present in your body. Whether you choose some from this list or know other ways to support your mental health, I challenge you to be cognizant of your recovery and the ways in which you can support it.
You can learn more about REC’s therapeutic approach to individual therapy, family therapy, and group therapy using the respective links. If you are wanting to support your mental health by starting your therapeutic journey, you can reach out today to schedule an appointment!
Abby Biehl, LCMHCA