May 3-9 is the CMHA Mental Health Week.
The theme of this year’s Mental Health Week is understanding our emotions.
Recognizing, labeling, and accepting our feelings are all part of protecting and promoting good mental health for everyone.
Naming, expressing, and dealing with our emotions—even when they are uncomfortable—can make us feel better.
Today is especially important to me as it marks exactly 4 years since my sister Sydney died by suicide.
Why Do We Have a Mental Health Week?
It is easy to carry on day-to-day without making a positive change or even thinking about it.
This is a week to open up the conversation about mental health, learn there are things every one of us can do to improve our health, #GetReal, and take action.
Since the start of the pandemic studies show a 40% decline in peoples mental health.
Now more than ever it is important to learn about and improve our mental health.
What Can You Do For Yourself or Someone You Love?
Get educated.
Learn how our mental health works so you can take control of your own well-being.
What do I mean by that?
I mean learn some of the easy ways to:
Boost your feel-good chemicals
Elevate your mood
Help create better physical health (body image, pain, strength, etc.)
Help create better mental health (confidence, self-esteem, coping strategies, etc.)
How Do You Do That?
1. Learn from some FREE and EASY guides out there:
View my Build Better Mental Health Guide by clicking here. (If it's for someone else, send them here for a FREE 5 day guide to Build Better Mental Health).
Visit https://mentalhealthweek.ca/ for free guides and blogs on improving mental health.
Visit https://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/support-myself for workbooks, info sheets, and information on what to do.
2. Take it upon yourself to start. It’s easy to procrastinate, but this is THE week to make a difference and open up the conversation surrounding mental health with those around you.
What Can You Do to Help?
Show your support for Mental Health Week and help #GetReal about how you feel.
Let's do this together.
Follow our social media (Facebook | Instagram) for tips and tricks as well as challenges this week. There are ALWAYS ways to improve your well-being.
(Most of our content will be posted here, and not sent via email, follow us so you don’t miss out!)
Help me make this Mental Health Week impactful.
Add our Facebook profile frame to your profile picture here!
(Or go to your FB profile picture, click add frame, and search ElateFitness.)
Want to use it for something else? Send me a photo of you and I’ll send it back to you!
What Could You Do Today?
Get Active.
Studies show a 26% decrease in becoming depressed for each major increase in objectively measured physical activity. This can be as simple as replacing 15 minutes of sitting with 15 minutes of walking or running!
By spending only a few minutes a day exercising, you will learn to reduce daily stress and anxiety levels to maintain a healthy mental state.
There is no better time than now to go get 10 minutes of activity in, and a 10-minute walk in nature is the perfect start.
Watch this 1.5 minute video on supporting Mental Health with Physical Activity.
I look forward to engaging with you on social media this week!
