Four Ways to Care for Your Mental Wellbeing During Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and it’s a great time to put a renewed focus on your own mental wellbeing. 

After all, while we’re slowly putting the pandemic behind us, it’s undeniable how challenging it’s been and how significant of an impact it’s had on all of us. The uncertainty and stress of the past two years have been tolling on our mental health and wellbeing, so it’s important to address that rather than ignoring it.  

But how can you prioritize your own mental wellbeing? We’ve got a few tips you can implement into your life.

Assessing Your Mental Wellbeing

Some people may receive an official diagnosis such as depression or anxiety disorder, but even if you don’t, that doesn’t mean you’re not dealing with mental health struggles you’re not even aware of.

Do a quick check-in and ask yourself:

• How’s your motivation, productivity, and focus?
• Do you care about your work and feel engaged? 
• Are you feeling physically well? 
• Have you been withdrawing from other people? 
• Are you experiencing more negative self-talk? 

If you’ve found yourself in a rut, feeling demotivated, or in a negative headspace, you may want to take steps to improve your mental wellbeing.

4 Ways to Care for Your Mental Wellbeing 

Caring for your mental well-being comes down to some simple steps. But just because they’re simple, doesn’t make them easy—you need to intentionally build healthy habits into your daily and weekly routines. Here are four areas to focus on.

1. Focus on Community

There’s no way around it—we’re social beings and we need each other! When it comes to mental health and wellbeing, it’s so important to be plugged into the community. 

Who are you surrounded by? Your friends, family, colleagues, and team leaders all make an impact on your mental health—they can either support and help you or bring you down.

And if you work from home and experience loneliness or isolation, it may be time to change things up. Joining a coworking space gives you access to a supportive, professional community. 

Beyond friends and family, there are other community resources here in Baltimore to tap into:

• If you’re in immediate need, call the Baltimore 24/7 Crisis Response hotline. 
• The National Alliance on Mental Illness, Metropolitan Baltimore also has an extensive list of community resources. 

Finally, if you work for a company, make sure to connect with your HR manager or leader to ask about company resources dedicated to mental health (i.e. counseling benefits).

2. Focus on Fun

Leisure, recreation, and doing things you love are essential to our mental health. Some people might dismiss “fun” as a waste of time, or feel that leisure is unproductive. But a recent study demonstrated that people who had this attitude had poorer mental health outcomes, including greater depression, anxiety, or stress. 

So, leisure and recreation—having fun—is a pillar of mental health! Here are some ideas to try:

• Get back to your hobbies. Reading, baking, photography, hiking… What do you love to do?  
• Make work fun by connecting socially with colleagues. Grabbing a bite to eat at one of Hampden’s best lunch spots can be a fun way to connect with others during the day.
• Join a professional community of like-minded people. 
• Have a change of scenery. Go on a vacation somewhere new, play tourist in your own city, or get out in nature! 

3. Focus on Communication

Communication is a key cornerstone of mental health. Why? Because it impacts most things you do! Through communication, you can:

• Get professional mental health support from a counselor or psychologist. 
• Tell your HR rep or team lead about how you’re doing. 
• Connect with a supportive friend or family member.
• Express how you are feeling and what you need. 

When you’re struggling with mental health, don’t stay silent! Speak up, communicate with others, and get the help you need. 

4. Focus on Health

Mental health and physical health are tied together. That’s why it’s so important to keep up the healthy habits you already know to do:

• Get adequate rest and prioritize 7-8 hours of sleep a night.
• Fuel your body with nutritious (and delicious!) food.
• Exercise and move your body. 
• Tap into your spiritual side through meditation, mindfulness, gratitude, or prayer.

To successfully build healthy habits, start out small. Focus on just one or two smart habits to fuel a successful day and go from there!

This May, let’s get serious about our mental health! Don’t let Mental Health Awareness Month pass by without taking some steps to care for your mental well-being and build habits that will last a lifetime.

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If you’re looking for a flexible workspace and a supportive, professional community, book a tour of Co-Balt today.