Welcome back, lovely readers, I hope y’all have been doing great!
So, as you all know, May is mental health awareness month. Well, if you didn’t know that I’m glad you do now.
So, how did all this mental health awareness come about? A bit of history, so mental health has been observed in the United States of America, ever since May 1949. Established by Mental Health America, formerly known as the Association for Mental Health, to raise awareness about mental health issues, educate the public, and reduce stigmas surrounding mental health illness and each year a theme is selected to guide outreach activities and on that note this years theme is ‘’ Turn Awareness into Action’’ encouraging each and everyone of us to take meaningful steps towards improving our mental health.
Well, on a personal note, during this month of May, I found myself in conversations about mental well-being, be it at school or small friend gatherings, random discussions that help gather up a lot of perspectives. These were really diverse conversations in which some people question the whole mental health thing, some who actually became aware, and of course, those who still think it’s a myth/joke.
At some point, too, I found myself pausing to reflect on my mental health journey, the moments of clarity sometimes, struggles, practicing different coping mechanisms, and yeah, even moments when I realized I wasn't as mindful as I should be or as mindful as I thought I was.
One lesson that stood out to me is how easy it is actually to ignore the subtle signs of burnout out yeah, brushing off exhaustion as just another busy week, or thoughts of complaints, by getting to work vibe.
This Mental Health Awareness Month, through the webinars and activities I engaged raising awareness on mental health reminded me of the small signals like persistent fatigue, withdrawal from things you love to do, missing out on important tasks, amongst others, which are worth paying attention to.
So today, being the last day of the mental health awareness month, I want to ask you;
What were the most valuable lessons you learned about mental health this month?
Did you come across any campaigns or stories that resonate with you?
Has your perspective on mental health changed over the past month?
Did you take any steps towards prioritizing your health, or what is that one habit you’ll carry beyond this month?
Did you participate in any mental health events or initiatives, and how was your experience?
On my end, I did I participated in an online campaign for mental health awareness, attended some webinars that promoted mental health too, which were very beneficial,
Now, let me know in the comment section something valuable on your side that you wish to share.
Thank you for taking out time to read till here and if this post resonates with you feel free to share with your mummy, daddy cousins, aunties, sisters brother. ( Read it again and faster this time :) let’s continue to spread word and awareness about mental health.
#peace #winning #lessons in resilience#selflove
Thank you for this insightful write up . This month I also had a lot of conversations on Mental Health and conducted a 31 days Mental Health Awareness Challenge. Let's keep creating this awareness
An unhealthy mind is a torture to the body. Never hesitate to share the joy of your being with people you encounter. For you might just be a "new mind/spirit" to a depreciating body.