May = Mental Health Awareness!

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, which is the ideal opportunity to promote our community's mental health.

This year's theme for Mental Health Awareness Week is "Connecting with Nature." This year's theme is more relevant than ever, as it highlights one of the most accessible methods to look after your mental health after a year of lockdowns, limitations, and more working from home.

‘There is something to be wondered at in all of Nature’ - Aristotle

Nature is so important to our psychological and emotional well-being that it's nearly impossible to achieve optimal mental health for everyone without a stronger connection to it. We lived as part of nature for the majority of human history. Only in the last five generations have so many of us lived and worked in an environment that is largely devoid of natural elements.

This month, we're challenging you to "check in" with yourself, neighbors, and others by asking how they're doing and truly listening to their response. You can do this in person, over the phone, via email, SMS, and other means. A tiny effort can make a significant difference!

During the pandemic's protracted months, millions of people turned to nature for comfort. Going for walks outside was one of our top coping mechanisms throughout the epidemic, according to our research, and 45 percent of us said being in green spaces was crucial for our mental health. The number of visitors to websites that featured footage from animal webcams increased by over 2000%.

It was as though we were rediscovering our core human yearning to connect with nature at our most vulnerable.

STORIES

The best instrument we have for influencing change is stories. Nature will remain undervalued and under-utilized unless we can demonstrate its role in providing consolation and joy in our lives.

We'd want to hear about your experiences with nature and how it has aided your mental health. This could be something as easy as watering a houseplant, listening to birds, touching tree bark, smelling flowers, or penning a poem.

WHAT YOU CAN DO.

We'd like you to do three things during Mental Health Awareness Week:

1. Experience: Take time during the week to recognize and strengthen your relationship with nature. Take a moment to appreciate and appreciate nature in your everyday life. What you notice might surprise you!

2. Share: Take a photo, video, or voice recording of the connections you've established during the week and share them with others to inspire them. Also, share your thoughts about the simplicity of nature and your nature connection with your peers.

3. Talk about nature: Join with peers and extend conversations about positivity and love. Make more conversations about nature about reconnecting with the earth and it‘s elements. Talk about workplace and community how you can help encourage people to find new ways to connect with nature in your local environment.

We encourage you to share your thoughts on what this means to you. 😁😁😁

Sources: choc.org; mentalhealth;