May Is Mental Health Awareness Month: Time for a Check-In
We schedule regular physical check-ups to stay on top of our health—so why not do the same for our mental well-being?
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, an opportunity to pause and assess how we’re really doing emotionally and psychologically. Think of your mental health like a glass jar filled with emotions. What’s inside? Are feelings like stress, irritability, or sadness taking up more space than calm or joy? Are there patterns or triggers that keep showing up?
Next, take stock of how you’re coping. Are your go-to strategies—like scrolling, isolating, or powering through—helpful in the long run, or just short-term fixes?
Then turn to your resources—the things that support your psychological and emotional well-being. These fall into two key categories:
- Inner resources: your strengths, values, mindset, and coping skills. This includes your ability to self-reflect, problem-solve, practice mindfulness, or speak kindly to yourself in moments of stress.
- Outer resources: your relationships and environment. Do you have people who truly listen? Are you getting adequate sleep, movement, and nourishing food? Do you have routines and spaces that help you recharge?
If difficult emotions are crowding out your sense of well-being or interfering with daily life, it may be time to connect with a mental health professional. Therapy can help you build lasting tools and uncover strengths that support a more balanced, meaningful life.
And don’t stop with yourself—check in on those around you, too. Not everyone shows when they’re struggling.
This May, take a moment to reflect, reset, and reach out. Mental health is health.