May is Mental Health Awareness month and this is a great time of the year to reflect on your brain and emotional wellbeing! Your brain is the most important organ in your body and just like sometimes your heart, kidneys, or blood pressure can get out of whack, your brain can also get offline. The good news is that you can do so many things to prevent this and to keep your mind healthy. Just like you go to the gym to keep your body in good shape, there are numerous things that you can do to keep your mind in good shape such as:
Meditation
Journaling
Counseling
Mindfulness
Massages
Yoga
Practicing positive self-talk
Practicing self-compassion
Practicing self-care
Stretching
Breath work
Exploring spirituality
Spending time with your support system
Eating healthy
Exercising
There are many great resources online to learn about mental health. It is very important to be an educated consumer of research and to understand that not everything that you read online is accurate. The below list includes reliable sources that you can trust to learn more about mental health. During the month of May take time to reflect, learn about, and work on your mental health!
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
http://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
American Psychiatric Association
http://www.psychiatry.org/mental-health
American Psychological Association
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Mental Health America
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
The Kim Foundation
http://www.thekimfoundation.org/
Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.org/patient-care-and-health-information
PsychCentral
Psychology Today
Treatment Advocacy Center
http://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/
Harvard Health Publishing- Harvard Medical School
Morning Star Counseling 