Mental Wellness Month

Did you know January is mental wellness month? This month was created to promote the importance of good mental health. One in five adults experience mental health issues. Taking a few minutes every day to focus on mental wellness can help build resilience and improve your overall mental wellness to live a happier and healthier life.

Mental wellness is about your social, emotional, physical, and spiritual aspects of your life all come together for an overall state of well-being. Similar to physical health, mental wellness takes effort. One way to show up this month is to create a plan of implementing habits to your daily life. Try out one or two of these essential activities this month:

Mindfulness. Mindfulness is the ability to be consciously aware in the present moment. When you are mindful it allows you to regulate your emotions and not flood your mind with fear. It allows you to be present in the moment.

Be kind to yourself. Self-compassion is about being kind to yourself and to be forgiving of your flaws. This is the ultimate form of self-love. Self-compassion can increase motivation, boost happiness, as well as foster resilience.

Practice gratitude. This has been shown to reduce stress and maintain resilience. Practice writing down three to five things you are grateful in a journal daily or weekly.

Move your body. Taking care of your body boosts your wellbeing pretty quickly. Whether it’s walking for ten minutes or working out for an hour, adding this into your daily or weekly routine will help improve your mental well-being.

Find time to do things you enjoy. If you used to love cooking, but got in the rut of not making meals, find some new recipes to try. If you have been wanting to take a pottery class, book a class.

These are just a few ways you can improve your mental wellness this month. This is a great time to check in with yourself and create some new habits. I encourage you to try one, two, or even all of these suggestions.

Sources:

https://www.interiminc.org/2020/01/01/january-is-mental-wellness-month/
https://thebestbrainpossible.com/the-benefits-of-self-compassion-and-how-to-get-more/

Jill Haupts, Outreach Coordinator for The Kim Foundation

Jill Haupts is the Outreach Coordinator at The Kim Foundation. She received her bachelor’s degree in Child, Adult, and Family Services from Iowa State University in 2016. Jill joined the Kim Foundation in January of 2020, coming from Des Moines, Iowa. Her previous experience includes volunteer recruitment and fundraising, as well as experience coordinating services and providing resources to adults who have a mental health diagnosis. Jill’s role in the foundation is coordinating event logistics, presenting and attending community fairs, as well as volunteer coordination and recruitment. She enjoys working in the nonprofit field and has a passion for advocacy and helping others.