Prioritizing mental health is crucial to living a positive life, and in today’s day in age, it’s easier to put your mental health on the back burner than deal with the issues at hand. So considering May is Mental Health Awareness month, we decided to put together a list of simple things you can do to maintain your mental health and check in with yourself right now.

1. Identify Feelings and Call Them Out

   Remember the saying; it takes more muscles to frown than to smile? Imagine being upset all day but never identifying the root of the issue to begin your feel better journey. Understanding the source of your emotions can help you identify any similarities that come with this feeling. For example, do you get sad at work around the holidays and not sure why? Maybe the bigger picture is emotions stemming from family or close friends. Once you identify the root and discover when these feelings are ignited, you can put a plan in place to help you get through this emotion should it return in the future. Identifying your emotions stands as a reminder that you’ve been there before and you can and will get through this.

2. Get Help

   Apoximently 1 in 5 adults in the United States experiences mental health episodes each year. This can range from anxiety, depression to battling negative thoughts, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. If you or someone you know is experiencing mental illness, please reach out to a professional, family member, or friend. It may seem a bit intimidating sharing vulnerable moments with others, but remember, you’re not alone, and you don’t have to take on the load by yourself. Sometimes sharing how you feel with someone can help you evaluate the situation instead of walking around with a brain full of questions and worries. There are trained professionals here to listen, help you, and support you. To speak to a therapist, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. Help is available.

3. Give Yourself Pep Talks and Focus on Your Accomplishments

   You are your biggest cheerleader! Self-encouragement and positive reinforcement can help you see the bigger picture. Sure, things may not be great right now, but that doesn’t mean everything is horrible. Look at how far you’ve come. Look at all the great things you’ve done. Tell yourself you did a great job. Show yourself compassion. Smile and remind yourself that you’re a good person, friend, sister, brother, daughter, son, mom, dad, employee, boss. You got this. You’re doing great!

4. Take a Walk

   Taking a few minutes to be one with nature can instantly boost your mood. We get the majority of our Vitamin D from the sun, and exposure to sunlight increases the brain’s release of serotonin. Serotonin is associated with boosting moods and helping a person feel calm and focused. Taking a walk can also help you clear your mind, and you may realize that the amount of stress you’re putting towards a project or situation isn’t worth your mental health.

5. Regulate Social Media

   Although social media seems to be a natural part of everyone’s daily routine, it’s okay to take a break sometimes. Constantly comparing yourself to strangers or always watching heart-wrenching videos that tug on your emotions has proven to affect the mental health of children and adults. If you need to use social media for work, consider only following positive pages and avoiding pages that ignite certain emotions. Go back to step one, identify your feelings, call them out, and then develop a plan to better yourself. Take a break from the phone and find your favorite book to fuel your brain with encouragement and positivity. A great book will never go out of style.

Last but not least, remember we’re here for you. Check-in with leadership if things become challenging, and know that we got your back. Once you join the MVP team, you enter the MVP family.