May is Mental Health Awareness month.  This month, organizations and agencies publish articles on how to identify mental health issues and best treatment practices.  This year we’d would like to take a slightly different approach and focus on mental health wellness.  In the next few weeks, we will present activities that have been shown to improve mental health. These activities work for people who are currently in treatment, have been in therapy, and want to stay well, and those who have never been in treatment but want to simply improve their mental health.

What does mental wellness mean? The American Mental Health Wellness Association defines mental wellness as “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and can make a contribution to his or her community.” That sounds like something we all can strive to be. 

There are six primary wellness activities, or we can even call them “tools.”  In the next couple of weeks, we will review each tool with suggestions about making them work best. Of course, these do not take the place of professional help.  If you feel you are struggling with life issues, feeling depressed or anxious, having difficulty coping, or having trauma in your life, please connect with the mental health services listed at the bottom of this page.

The Importance of Being Social

While this activity has been put on hold by the pandemic, it is an excellent time to talk about this as society begins to open-up again and get back to normal. 

A great deal of research shows that being social can reduce a host of physical problems, such as high blood pressure, heart problems, obesity, mental health, and reducing depression and anxiety in large samples of people.

Tips on Being Social

Face to Face is essential.  While Zoom has all but killed our face-to-face time, it appears critical for mental health that we meet people face to face.  If you have a friend and you are both vaccinated, it’s time to reach out and get together.  Sometimes just meeting for an hour or two once a week. 

Set up the same time to meet weekly. Having a set time keeps you both in contact.  Reach out, find a friend, and set up a routine; it turns out you will both feel better for it.

If you find yourself in need of professional services for mental health reach out to Center For Family Services' Accee line at 877.922.2377 or email access@centerffs.org. 

For more information on our Access services, visit https://www.centerffs.org/get-help.