How's Your Mental Health?
The month of May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Throughout the month, organizations work to raise awareness about mental health issues and focus their efforts towards destigmatizing what it means to have a mental illness. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 1 in 5 U.S. adults will experience mental illness each year, and 1 in 6 youth between the ages of 6-17 will experience a mental health disorder each year. Between the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 and current social distancing practices, now is a good time to focus on our own mental health and provide support to each other through these challenging times.
Additionally, this month provides all of us with a platform to talk about the importance of maintaining good mental health. Focusing on the ways we cultivate and nurture mental health is just as important as the ways in which we take care of our physical health. For parents, this month may give you the chance to think about or alter the ways in which you model taking care of your own mental health. To model healthy self-care and help fight the stigma around mental health, consider using some of the phrases below when speaking to your children about your own mental health:
- I’m working to improve my mental health.
- My mental health matters and I’m finding support in these ways...
- I’m committed to my mental health.
If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, seek support or offer to be a support, and offer resources such as the Colorado Crisis Line at 1-844-493-8244 (TALK).
Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
