Mental Health Awareness Month Tips

For Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re sharing some tips and tricks for mental health and wellness from Maria Moore, Director of Development at Pathways Vermont

Noticing and appreciating good strengthens our neuro-pathways to positive emotions. We literally notice more good things. It is energizing, uplifting, generative and it helps us see the light in situations. Though we still see negative situations for what they are, it helps us remove the dark blanket feeling that comes with only seeing negatives.

Use this spring as an opportunity to practice gratitude and find good in the season of new growth. Savor every little moment of good like the beauty in the petal of each growing flower around you or the hypnotic rhythm of your favorite song. Share the little things you feel grateful for. You an even create a gratitude journal to chronicle the good moments.

The end of the pandemic will look different everywhere and for everyone. For many, the transition will impact our mental health and how we feel. Writing down your feelings or sharing them with someone else can be a helpful way to navigate your array of emotions. Take some time to share your excitement, the difficult changes that might arise for you, your expectations and a plan of action for when you feel disappointed.

Check in with friends and family to see how they’re navigating the changes in their own life. Let them know that you are there, and you care. Envisioning how we will respond to the end of the pandemic and validating our reactions help us navigate mental health and care for ourselves.

We were made to move! Movement impacts our physical and mental health in many ways. Trying new ways to move is invigorating while revisiting a previous interest can be grounding and sticking to a routine builds confidence and calm.

Going outside is a great way to get moving and Vermont is the perfect place for it! You can visit a town forest, check out the Green Mountain National Forest, explore a Wildlife Management Area or discover a new trail. There are endless ways to get moving and just as many benefits to doing so.

Sleep is essential for our bodies and our mental health. It allows us to recharge, refresh and repair while aiding functions like mood, memory and mental clarity. Most people require seven to nine hours of sleep every night.

Use these tricks when you are having trouble falling asleep: