Recognizing Mental Health Awareness Month
May is #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, which feels incredibly important in light of COVID-19. Stress surrounds us – may it be fear of the virus, anxiety over the unknown, or trauma caused by racial discrimination accentuated by the pandemic. We are all experiencing grief in some form right now, including ‘ambiguous grief’, which exists when there’s the uncertainty about how long something will last and what will happen next, leaving us to mourn our current losses as well as ones we haven’t yet experienced. No matter what type of grief you are experiencing, it is important to acknowledge it, take steps to care for your mental health, and check in with those you love – especially those with preexisting mental health conditions. Some signs that your mental health may be taking a toll on you is an inability to focus, poor sleep, or a fixation on the news. Take time to prioritize your mental health, even if it means scheduling self-care in your calendar. Personally, I have been going for long walks with my partner and dogs and immersing myself in gardening projects. Both activities help me to focus on the present instead of lamenting what was or what might be. There are many ways to get help, and Massachusetts has a guide for coping during COVID-19. I recommend learning more by checking out their website, which includes recommendations for reducing stress, links to peer support groups for a number of situations, and crisis support.
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/resources-for-reducing-stress-and-healthy-coping
Project Manager at Delve
4 年Thank you so much for sharing some available resources. But I wonder if they are any mental health resources for POC in particular. I ask since many may feel more comfortable with professionals that look like them and who understand that their stress, anxiety and grief goes beyond COVID and was their reality well before and will continue even after COVID. Thanks again.