Health isn’t just not being sick or exercising; it’s so much more than that. May is mental health awareness month, and it’s important to know that taking care of your mental health is okay. If you had any physical ailment, you would do whatever you could to make it feel better. You should do the same thing for your mental health; just because you can’t see any pain doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Here are a few things you can do to take care of your mental health:
- Talk to someone; it doesn’t have to be a professional, just talk to a friend about anything that has been happening in your life.
- Make some time to do things you enjoy. You may already do some sort of regular activity you like, but try doing something you haven’t done in a while that you used to like. Maybe do some reading or draw something.
- Clean your room. A clean and organized space can keep you calm and focused.
- Try to spend less time on social media. Instagram and Snapchat can be really fun to spend time on, but they can consume so much time and be addictive even when you don’t realize it.
- Spend some time outdoors and take a break from dealing with the business of life. Or spend some time with a pet; anything to get away from your daily routine.
You should try to do some of these things over the next month. It’s also important to be available if a friend needs to talk about something. You can’t tell if someone is struggling just by looking at them. Being supportive is essential to helping others deal with their mental health. Make sure you spread the word that mental health is important and try to fight the stigma around mental illnesses.