Mental Health Awareness Month: Elevating Mental Health In 2023

If there is one thing we should have a conversation about all year round in the modern world, it is mental health. Technology, social media, and the general busyness of the capitalist society have left us scattered and misdirected. Over one in five adults have a mental illness in the US, and one in twenty-five, live with a serious mental illness.

May is an entire month dedicated to mental awareness, which is why there is no better time to talk about this. So, if you want to elevate your mental health in 2023 and gain awareness, you are in the right place. Here is what you need to know.

Why Is Mental Health Awareness Important?

Mental health awareness is important because many people focus on their physical health but neglect mental health. They think that mental illnesses are not as debilitating as physical illnesses, which is why they don’t do anything about it. Besides that, there is also a stigma attached to mental health which hinders people from openly talking about it with others.

However, awareness and openly talking about it can encourage people to prioritize their mental health so that they can live well-rounded lives. As an individual, you should also find different ways to educate yourself and raise awareness among others. If enough of us start doing this, the people around us will be more open with what they are struggling with.

Get Active: How To Elevate Mental Health Awareness

You don’t have to dedicate a month to elevate mental health awareness. Instead, you can get active and find ways to get involved with mental health awareness all year. These include the following:

1. Educate Yourself

The first thing you need to do is educate yourself because if you are not aware, then you can’t extend that awareness to others. There are many resources online and in your local community that will help you understand mental health better. You will also find various self-help books on mental health that will improve your knowledge on the matter.

Once you have enough information, you can start spreading this information to the people around you. Create a comfortable atmosphere with your loved ones where everyone can openly talk about mental health and share their insights. Doing this will also encourage other people to learn more about mental health, which will boost their awareness.

2. Support Organizations That Advocate Mental Health

Now that you have enough information on mental health, you can find organizations in your region that are doing their part in advocating mental health. There are many non-profits, communities, and individuals that are trying hard to help people by spreading awareness and offering services. For example, many art therapists also hold workshops and go to local schools to offer their services for free to help children.

So, it is time to conduct some research to find out about the organizations operating in your area. Once you have this information, you can either offer them a monetary donation or your time. This means that you can volunteer for their cause or offer anything else you can that would help them advocate mental health.

3. Prioritize Your Mental Health And Well-Being

You can’t talk about mental health and help others if you are not feeling good yourself. Therefore, it is crucial to take care of your mental health so that you can be a better person to yourself and the people around you. There are various ways that will help you take care of your mental health, but you have to find out what works for you.

Some of these ways include the following:

Going for a walk
Doing deep breathing exercises
Taking up a new hobby, such as painting, dancing, singing, gardening, etc.
Journaling
Exercising
Having a good sleep schedule
Eating a balanced and healthy diet
And more

These are small ways, but they can make a big difference to your mental health. You will have to go through a process of trial and error to see what strategies work best for you. Once you find this out, you can incorporate more of it into your life to boost mental health.

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Key Takeaways From Mental Health Awareness Month 2023

Thanks to the wonders of technology, there are many resources and initiatives available that offer mental health support to people. These include therapy, support groups, online resources, books, hotlines, and much more. You can find support among any of these things if you feel like you are struggling with your mental health.

Some of these hotlines include:

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Health): You can text NAMI at 741471 or call them at 800-950-NAMI
SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration): 800-662-4537
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or 800-273-8455

NAMI is a popular organization, and they also hold various fundraisers and events throughout the year to help people struggling with mental health. For example, NAMIWALKS is one of their most popular events where people walk, raise funds, and promote awareness about mental health.

There are also hospitals and local therapy practices that host sessions on mental health to raise awareness. So, make sure you conduct some research to find all the organizations and people in your area making a difference. Once you do, you can also join their efforts to help raise awareness and support people that are struggling with their mental health.

Final Thoughts

These are all the ways in which you can take care of yourself, help others, and raise awareness about mental health. Mental illnesses are just as real and scary as physical illnesses, and we should manage the symptoms before they escalate further. This can’t happen unless we have proper knowledge of how we can take care of mental health.

So, make a promise to yourself to talk more about mental health and raise awareness so that your loved ones can reach out to you. Sometimes, the people closest to us are struggling, and we have no idea about it. All we need is an environment of support and acceptance to open up.

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Josh Dudick

Josh is the owner and lead writer at Daily Wisely. His career has taken him from finance to blogging, and now shares his insights with readers of Daily Wisely.

Josh's work and authoritative advice have appeared in major publications like Nasdaq, Forbes, The Sun, Yahoo! Finance, CBS News, Fortune, The Street, MSN Money, and Go Banking Rates. Josh has over 15 years of experience on Wall Street, and currently shares his financial expertise in investing, wealth management, markets, taxes, real estate, and personal finance on his other website, Top Dollar Investor.

Josh graduated from Cornell University with a degree from the Dyson School of Applied Economics & Management at the SC Johnson College of Business.