Every year, millions of Americans deal with living with a mental illness. In the past, mental illness was highly stigmatized and misunderstood. But now our society is changing and we are creating a discourse around the importance of comprehending and taking care of our mental health. May is Mental Health Awareness Month. In honor of that, and the ongoing issues of COVID-19, Advanced Hires put together a list of ways you can take care of your mental health:
Make a distress tolerance basket
Essentially, you are putting together a collection of items and activities that can calm you down when you feel yourself begin to spiral. Word searches, candles, novels, stuffed animals, adult coloring books, sketchpads, etc. are all things you can utilize. But ultimately it’s up to you. Fill your distress tolerance basket and then use it when things are getting overwhelming.
Take breaks
Whether it’s from work or the news, it’s important to take breaks throughout the day (and the week). COVID-19 content can be important, but the news can also negatively impact your mental health. It’s best to give yourself space to relax and turn your brain off. It might even be helpful to take some PTO from your job to practice self-care if you can do that.
Make sure you’re exercising and sleeping enough
Moving your body for just 30 minutes a day can help get your endorphins up, which will definitely help your mental health. Yoga, walking, running, or free online strength classes can all be helpful in this regard. You don’t need the gym to get a good workout. Sleep is also important. Even though you might struggle, try to go to bed and get up in the morning at the same time. Eight hours of sleep is crucial to your mental health.
Stay connected
Maybe that means doing a daily check-in with your coworkers, or having a FaceTime call scheduled with your friends every week. Perhaps you can find an online community that will support you (for example, if you like to knit you could join the knitting communities on Instagram or Reddit). Whatever that looks like for you, it’s important to find ways to connect with people, especially if you live alone.
Ask for help
If you’re feeling very overwhelmed, unsafe, or afraid, it is SO important that you ask for help. Many therapists are offering phone and video sessions during this outbreak. There are many resources out there that are available for people struggling. Remember that you are not alone, even when it feels like it.
For more information about Mental Health Month, click here. For local Milwaukee organizations you can connect with to make donations or get help, see below:
- NAMI – https://www.namigrm.org/
- Mental Health America of Wisconsin – https://www.mhawisconsin.org/
- Milwaukee County of Health & Human Services – https://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/DHHS/BHD
- Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force – http://www.milwaukeemhtf.org/
- Vital Voices – https://vital-voices.org/