What comes to mind when you hear mental health?

What comes to your mind when you hear the word “mental health? Most people do not even think about mental health until it is something they have to deal with. Since the month of May is Mental Health Month, I thought this is a good time where I can point out a few things about mental health. According to Webster, mental health is a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being.

“Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.” (mentalhealth.gov/basics/what-is-mental-health)

There is so much information about mental health that is out there in the world but I just want to touch on one part of it and that is self-care. We ignore that part because we get so busy with life. Self-care can help you handle situations in your life a lot better. It releases stress and helps you process those everyday problems that we all encounter. Maybe, you are asking yourself “what is self-care”? That is a great question. Self-care can be anything from reading a book to going to the gym. It is just taking time to do something for yourself. No worrying about the everyday issues and problems but separating yourself and doing what makes your happy. Like, you go to your happy place. So, make it a priority to schedule some self-care into the weeks to come.