Top 10 Tips for Mental Health Awareness Month

Be kind and compassionate to yourself and others.

You are not alone; 1 in 5 adults living in the U.S. has a mental health condition.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and if you are living with mental health challenges, I want you to know that you are not alone. I've had the privilege of coaching, teaching, and facilitating wellness sessions over the past four years, and I can say that I don't know anyone who has not been affected by mental health challenges in some way. 

If this is you, you are not alone. 1 in 5 adults living in the U.S. has a mental health condition, and those numbers have continued to rise over the past few years.

Did you know ...

• Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S.; 48 million living with anxiety

• 21 million living with major depression

• Millions live with post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and schizophrenia.

• World Health Organization has recognized burnout as a disease;  2/3 of full-time workers deal with burnout.

• Chronic periods of stress and anxiety negatively impact the immune system. 

The good news is that there are things that we can each do to take better care of ourselves, build resilience, and feel empowered to take control of our health.  

Ten things to support your mental health

1. Be kind and compassionate to yourself and others.

   We are often more unkind to ourselves than to others. Our inner dialogue can be ruthless and damaging. Practice self-awareness of your words, and choose a different, kinder thought in the moment. Also, give others grace and compassion because we do not know what they may be going through. 

   2. Get professional help 

   Seek out a mental health practitioner. Many organizations now offer these services to their employees. Take advantage of available resources or seek a referral from someone you trust.

   3. Get some sunshine to boost your mood. 

   There is a reason we feel better when we're outside. When we get proper sunlight, our bodies produce vitamin D and release more serotonin, boosting our mood and helping both anxiety and depression.  

   4. Try to get 7-9 hours of sleep each night.

   Sleeping 7 -9 hours is ideal for us, and sleep and mental health are closely tied together. When we sleep, our body rests and recovers. When we do not get enough sleep, especially REM sleep, the brain doesn't correctly consolidate positive emotional content, which is tied to mental health disorders and their severity. Sleep is now understood as both a cause and consequence of mental health problems. 

   5. Surround yourself with loving people you can talk to.

   We all need a tribe of loving and supporting people to talk to and share our concerns, especially when they're tied to our health. So seek out friends, family, or professionals to talk to. 

   6. Eat well and take care of your gut health.

   The gut is sometimes referred to as our second brain, and our gut and brain are linked through the vagus nerve, which sends signals to and from the brain. It's incredible, but the gut can influence emotional behavior in the brain, and the brain can impact the bacteria in the gut. Therefore, nourishing ourselves by eating whole foods, especially fruits, and vegetables, those rich in omega-3 fatty acids, dark leafy green vegetables, nuts, beans, and lentils, helps to boost our mental health. Also, investing in a good probiotic is essential for gut health. 

   7. Start a gratitude practice.

   Did you know that studies have shown that those who practice gratitude are happier, less stressed, less anxious, and less depressed? I love doing gratitude as part of my morning routine and in the evening before I sleep. When we acknowledge our blessings, we focus our energy on what we have, not what we lack. So try it; you may love it!

   8. Move your body daily. 

   Research shows that people who exercise regularly have lower mental illness rates and better overall mental and emotional well-being. Exercise helps release endorphins that boost our mood, help us sleep better, provide more energy, improve our confidence, and reduce stress.

   9. Reduce stress - yoga, meditation, tai chi, and breathwork.

   I can't say enough about mindfulness practices. They align our mind, body, breath, and spirit. Each of these modalities has been shown to reduce stress and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Mindfulness also trains our brains to be present in the moment and shrinks our amygdala, allowing us to be less reactive. 

   10. Get your blood tested to address deficiencies and get supplement recommendations.

   Several vitamins have been shown to support good brain health. However, asking your primary for a full panel test can reveal deficiencies in vitamins such as Vitamin D, B vitamins, and Folate, which are linked to mental health disorders.  

   Resources: 

• https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-help

• https://www.counseling.org/knowledge-center/mental-health-resources

• https://nami.org/Home

• https://www.amenclinics.com

Enjoy the journey

Enjoy the journey

I've decided to pause and slow down - again. Yes, I find myself here often. I recognize that my life has been rushing past me, and I lost sight of how to slow it down. Does that resonate with you?

The crazy part is that I teach yoga, meditation, and breathwork. I practice daily, have a solid morning routine, and still wrestle with the need, desire, and urge to "do" when what I want and need is to pause, rest, and savor each moment. 

There are days I move at warp speed and still feel like I can't make enough traction; the time passes, and there is still so much more that I want to do. The accelerated pace has been constant for so long that it takes effort - deprogramming- to remember to slow down. 

What helps me when I need to slow down is to double down on my practices. 

Do more yoga

Yoga is a practice of self-reflection, and meeting ourselves on the mat means learning to breathe through all the thoughts, emotions, and memories that arise when we move through our poses. The urge to run away can be powerful, but surrendering and breathing completely is the only way to get to the other side. 

Meditate longer and more often

I love my morning meditation practice, and when I need to slow down, a second meditation during lunchtime, late afternoon, or even before bed grounds me. Meditation is like a mirror that reflects what is going on in our overactive minds. Meditation brings us back to the present moment and aligns our mind, body, breath, and spirit. 

More breathwork 

I've found breathwork to be one of the most healing and transformative modalities. From quieting an anxious mind, creating more peace, shifting energy, and even releasing trauma, breathwork is powerful. And the best part, it's free and available to you. Allowing someone else to hold space for us is so nurturing, and I am practicing asking my classmates to guide me through breath.

Spend time in nature 

Being in nature is grounding in so many ways. I exhale so much better when I'm outside; It doesn't matter if it's sunny, rainy, or snowing. The walk, the crisp air, the smells, and the noises all ground me and fill me with gratitude to be alive. I always feel better and more relaxed after a walk. Try a mindful meditation on your walk. 

Epsom salt baths

I love my daily baths with lavender Epsom salts. Soaking in a tub, closing your eyes, and allowing the salts to remove toxins, help you destress, recover, reduce pain, and feel amazing!

Slowing down takes work. When I slow down, I face unresolved issues and must remind myself to practice self-love and compassion, let go of expectations, say "no" more often, and set healthy boundaries. Each time I've intentionally done this, I felt freer. Although often uncomfortable, I slowly released old stories, thoughts, and attitudes with every minor adjustment. 

When we let go of outdated patterns that don't serve us, we make room for new beginnings, changes, and blessings. The changes won't happen overnight, but every step in the right direction has a compounding effect.

Will you join me by focusing less on the destination and more on the journey and choosing more peace, love, and joy?  

Here's to life-long friendships!

I’d choose them again

When we reunite, it's as if no time has passed.

My college friends and I celebrated our milestone birthdays in Isle of Palms, SC. There are 8 of us, and we haven't all been together since our 40th birthday year. At 40, we agreed to meet again when we turned 50. This year we decided that we would do it annually. 

Waiting until 60 doesn't seem right. There is a greater urgency in our life to do more, savor more, and be more. 

When we reunite, it's as if no time has passed. However, on this trip, we spent time having deeper conversations. This is because we know each other so well, and although we may need to fill in some details of what has happened recently, we already know each other's hearts.  

The accommodations were much better this trip than at Up Your Alley in Oxford, Ohio. Or Spring Break Senior year, where 10 of us are in one room eating cereal from a box, and pizza sandwiches, but those are just minor details. 

I had several takeaways from our trip:  

• Having life-long friendships like ours is rare and unique.

• Friends that we choose become family.

• We've seen the worst of each other and still love each other unconditionally.

• We always wish we'd stayed longer - it's never enough time.

• Who we are at our core is the same even though we've had different life experiences.

• We are different in many ways, but what brought us together over 30 years ago has kept us close; there is a secret magic formula!

I'd choose each of these women to be in my inner circle again today, and I am so grateful for their friendship. To many more reunions! #loveandhonor #MiamiU