May tends to be a student’s favorite time of year: the weather’s warming up, classes are over, and midnight activities are spent adventuring and laughing with friends rather than studying and writing papers. The pressures of April can way heavily on students’ mental health, so it’s fitting for May to be Mental Health Awareness Month, and it has been since 1949.

The theme of Mental Health Awareness Month, according to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Health), is “more than enough.” Sometimes our minds can be more mean than we can comprehend, and it can make us feel like we are not enough. However, regardless of “diagnosis, appearance, socioeconomic status, background or ability” you are more than enough.

NAMI’s website offers resources for those that need help with their mental health. They provide information on support groups, programs, classes, podcasts and webinars, blog posts, and a Help Line. These resources offer specific tips that align with several subjects that intersect with mental health, such as physical health, romantic relationships, spirituality and faith, finances and work, and more.

NIMH, or the National Institute for Mental Health, released a list of tips to promote good mental health. Here are brief summaries of each tip, but be sure to check out the website for more details:

• Get regular exercise
• Eat healthy, regular meals & stay hydrated
• Make sleep a priority
• Try a relaxing activity
• Set goals and priorities
• Practice gratitude
• Focus on positivity
• Stay connected

What are you doing for your mental heath during Mental Health Awareness Month?

Learn more:
https://www.nami.org/Get-Involved/Awareness-Events/Mental-Health-Awareness-Month
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/caring-for-your-mental-health