In May, it’s important to take stock of our mental health and celebrate mental health awareness month! Since 1949, Mental Health Awareness Month has been a driving force in addressing the challenges faced by millions of Americans living with mental health conditions. Mental Health Awareness month is a way to change the discourse around mental health and continue to work to remove the stigma around mental health conditions. Here’s a few Mental Health Awareness Month ideas that you can take part in to celebrate and acknowledge mental health- all year round!
Mental Health Awareness Activities for All Ages
No matter what stage of life you’re in, it’s never too early to start a conversation around practices that strengthen your mental health. Here’s a few Mental Health Awareness Month activities for the whole family:
Mental Health Activities for Kids
Practicing good mental health hygiene should start early! Don’t be afraid to bring your children into this important conversation. Here’s a few ways to get them involved:
- Positive Affirmations: Design a bulletin board featuring uplifting quotes, affirmations, and messages of encouragement. Encourage children to come up with and contribute to their own affirmations!
- Gratitude Wall: Set up a gratitude wall where kids can write and share what they’re grateful for. Cultivating gratitude is crucial to promoting mental well-being and can help combat depression and anxiety.
- ‘I Feel’ Exercise: Encourage children to share what they’re experiencing- possibly a mental-health check-in every day in May (or beyond) to give them space to process how their days went, and to get comfortable with using other adjectives other than ‘fine’ to describe how their day went. Take a look at this Feelings Wheel for more inspiration.
Mental Health Activities for Teens
Mental health struggles can begin at any time, but for many individuals, they can often show up in teen years. As our brains are growing and absorbing information as we age, encouraging teenagers to get to know their minds and bodies is crucial for maintaining mental health into adulthood. Here’s some ways for teenagers to get involved during Mental Health Awareness month:
- Keep a Journal: Journaling can be a helpful tool for your mental health- it offers a safe way to express your emotions, reflect on experiences and track personal growth. Making a goal to spend 5 minutes a day journaling can make a big difference in mental health. Stuck on what to write about? Look at ACP’s journaling prompts.
- Read for Pleasure: A study of more than 10,000 young adolescents found that those who begin reading for pleasure early in life tend to perform better at cognitive tests and have better mental health. This May, encourage a reading challenge- just 10 pages a day can make a difference! Stuck on what to read? Start here: Readers Digest 2024 Best Books for Teens
- Art or Music Therapy: Art and music therapy have incredibly therapeutic qualities for expressing emotions and being more connected to our creativity and emotions. In order to connect with your creativity, spend some time drawing, painting, and listening to music.
Mental Health Activities for Adults
Though there’s a stigma in our society that taking time for ourselves may be ‘selfish’, there’s never been a better time to prioritize your mental health- you deserve to feel good! Even with busy work schedules, family and life stressors, try to take a moment or two to recognize Mental Health Awareness this May- and beyond:
- Focus on Daily Movement: Exercise is one of the best ways to combat depression and improve our mental health by connecting to our bodies. And with warmer temperatures outside, it’s a great time to work on getting daily movement. Doctors recommend 30 minutes a day, or 150 minutes per week. Remember: you don’t have to run a marathon to get benefits from exercising. Start by taking a brisk walk, dancing around your kitchen- whatever brings you joy. Learn more about the benefits of exercise.
- Integrate Mindfulness Into Your Day: Meditation, even in small amounts, has been proven to improve mental health- it helps us to recognize that we do not need to be controlled by our thoughts- we can let them come and go. Don’t be intimidated- there’s no wrong way to meditate! The goal is to let your body be still and bring your awareness to your breathing and focus on the present moment. Try meditating just 5 minutes a day to incorporate this powerful practice into your daily life. Read more about ACP’s alternative therapies, including meditation practices.
- Engage in Self-Care: Self-care can look very different for everyone. But essentially what it means is engaging in healthy activities to soothe your nervous system. This can include reading a book, using an adult coloring book, taking a long outdoor walk, painting your nails, using skincare, gardening, cooking, or anything that makes you feel calm and regulated. It’s about taking a moment for yourself. Try to find a moment of self-care, even in the busiest seasons, every day!
Mental Health Awareness Month- All Year Round
Though Mental Health Awareness Month is celebrated in May, the spirit of celebrating mental health awareness must be continued all year round! It’s never too early to start prioritizing your mental health-we all have seasons, but you are never behind- it’s always a great day to show up as your best self.
If therapy is a part of your mental health journey, the experts at Associated Clinic of Psychology are here to help. We can match you with a provider that will target exactly what you need a little help with, whether that’s anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, or something else.
Request an Appointment Today – prioritizing your mental health is the best way to celebrate Mental Health Awareness month all year round!
