NAMI Talk: January is Mental Wellness Month

NAMI Greater Athens, TX would like to spotlight Mental Wellness Month because just as it is essential to monitor our physical health, such as blood pressure or cholesterol levels, we also need to bring awareness to our emotional well-being. This includes our mood, ability to function socially, energy levels, and ability to respond to challenges.

Sheri Dawson, director of the Division of Behavioral Health at the Department of Health and Human Services says, “Mental Wellness involves being able to cope effectively with life’s difficulties, having an awareness of your abilities and opportunities, and having healthy relationships with yourself and others.”

She continues, “The key to mental wellness is being proactive and taking care of our mental well-being before issues arise. By improving mental wellness and building resiliency, you can overcome life’s hurdles and thrive. It is always a good time to work on mental wellness. Identify one small step you can take to improve and stick with it. People with healthy emotional wellness are confident, have control over their feelings and behavior, and have good coping mechanisms for dealing with difficult situations.”

Mental Health is affected by many things, such as work, school, relationship problems, and excessive stress. Physical factors like illness can all play a part in your emotional well-being. There are eight areas of wellness to consider that impact your overall health: mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, social, personal, professional, and medical.

Choose one and take a step forward toward improvement every day. We have tips and tricks to help you take that first step toward improving your emotional well-being.

• Follow the after-work checklist - Review (acknowledge a challenge you faced, take a deep breath and let it go); Reflect (however small, consider and appreciate positives in your day); Regroup (offer support to your colleagues and ask for help when you need it) and re-energize (turn your focus to home and focus on relaxing and resting)

• Create a mental wellness plan

• Practice self-acceptance

• Put yourself first – Self-care isn’t selfish!

• Learn a new skill

• Exercise

• Practice Gratitude

• Become intentional with your time

• Ask for help when you need it

Along with all these great tips and tricks, joining one of NAMI’s support groups is a great way to work on your emotional well-being. We offer support groups for families living with and loving someone who has a mental illness, peer-to-peer support groups for those with mental illness, and classes for those who want to engage, grow and learn more about mental health.

NAMI Greater Athens, TX, is looking forward to offering support groups and classes in the coming months. Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram at NAMIGreaterAthens for the most up-to-date information about upcoming support groups, classes, and events.