May is Mental Health Awareness Month. It is pretty fitting for 2020. While many people are enjoying the time with their family or cocooning away in the warmth of their homes, there are others who are not OK.
They may look OK when you see them on zoom. They may sound OK when you call them. You might laugh at the funny memes they are posting on Facebook to make it seem like they are OK. But they aren’t.
Mental health awareness should be every month. We should look out for and check on each other every month. But in May, 2020, with Covid-19 having changed our whole lives, it is so much more important. From senior citizens to high school seniors, from working moms to newly-crowned stay-at-home dads, so many of us are going through transitions we didn’t ask for. Some people are able to weather this changes remarkably well. For others of us, it’s just not as easy.
To help us all through what may be an extremely tough time, I culled some spot-on expertise from medical professionals and leaders in mental health fields. Maybe you won’t need their advice. But if you don’t, you probably know someone who does. Pass it on.
Mental Health Awareness Month: Top Tips From the Experts
1. Check on your friends.
Ruby Walker, college freshman and author of Advice I Ignored: Stories and Wisdom from a Formerly Depressed Teen
If you’re doing alright right now, that’s great! Make sure to turn your attention to your friends and make sure they feel supported. If your friend has been staying in or staying out more than usual, saying self-deprecating things, making concerning jokes, or just seems a little ‘off’ — check in. Ask how they feel and listen. Try not to make the conversation about your feelings of worry, which might add to their stress. Just let them know that you care and you’re willing to help when things get tough.
2. Don’t panic.
Kay Hutchison, media producer and author of My Life in 37 Therapies: From Yoga to Hypnosis and Why Voodoo is Never the Answer
Focus on the stillness within you (breathing, heartbeat, peace) to help promote calm and positive mental health. Panic will make your mental state worse. Remember, every one of us will have mental health problems at some point in our lives – just be aware of how you’re feeling, know that there are people out there willing to help. Most important, help your own recovery. Start by calming your mind.
3. Try journaling.
Judy Gaman, radio /podcast host and author of Love, Life, and Lucille: Lessons Learned from a Centenarian
Journal before bed. Some people use this as a prayer opportunity, while others just jot down the events of the day and their to-do list. Either way, journaling is great for mental health because it allows the brain to do a ‘data dump’ and prepare for a restful night.
4. Think positively.
Dr. John Chuback, medical doctor and author of Make Your Own Damn Cheese: Understanding, Navigating and Mastering the 3 Mazes of Success
Like anything else, positive thinking is something you learn over time. To be happier, you have to train your brain to think positive.
5. Know the signs of anxiety.
Dr. Jill Grimes, university medical doctor and author of The Ultimate College Student Health Handbook: Your Guide for Everything from Hangovers to Homesickness
Mental anxiety triggers our body’s fight-or-flight reaction, whether or not the fears are realistic. The body prepares to run by revving up the heart rate and dumping excess weight (emptying your bowels and bladder). The total anxiety response also includes shortness of breath, actual or perceived muscle shaking, sweating, upset stomach, and brain fogginess that includes difficulty concentrating, fear, and “blanking out.”
6. Speak up.
John Fitch & Max Frenzel, authors of Time Off
Have conversations about rest and activities outside of work with peers and most importantly leadership. Talk about how this time off benefits the company. We believe it is leadership’s responsibility to create the culture and policies that respect each team member’s need for rest and recharging from the emotional labor of caregiving. How can you take care of others if you are not taking care of yourself? You can reframe your idea of rest as an investment in your teams’ ongoing enthusiasm and effective decision making. If the culture of the business does not respect and honor rest, then it will be very difficult for any member to set boundaries.
Bottom line: Take care of yourself.
Taking care of yourself is much easier said than done at certain times in our lives. I know for sure though that it matters. You matter. Our world needs you in it…our world needs you whole. So during Mental Health Awareness month, and throughout the year, let’s all focus on making sure more of us are doing OK…really.
