Mental Wellness month is here and is one of the most important yet forgotten months. 

To get a better perspective on mental wellness and learn three tips on how to improve yours, I interviewed Wakeland psychology and sociology teacher, Mrs. Mckee.  But first, what is mental wellness? 

Mental wellness is taking care of yourself through emotions, how you interact with others, and the way you think. Mental wellness is the combination of having balance in your life through good physical and mental health. Mental wellness month is definitely one that needs to be noticed more. 

“We should make a bigger deal about it, the problem is how we deal with it,” Mckee said. “We deal with mental wellness in a way that gives people an ‘ick’ factor and the tips we do get to help or well-being usually sound cheesy and insincere, so we really need to figure out a way that makes this topic more meaningful and respectful.”

While there isn’t one given way to fix this problem, some things that you can individually do are: raising awareness about mental wellness in others, participating in campaigns, and respecting others’ well-being.

“You need to be taking care of your body, spirit, and emotional health all at once. When you don’t take care of your spirit, purpose, and faith, it drags you down in other areas of your life and makes life harder,” Mckee said.

Now, how can you increase your own mental wellness? Here are three tips:

1. Exercise

Whether it’s taking your dog on a walk or going out for a swim, exercise is a great way to release feel-good endorphins which alleviates stress, anxiety, and increases your physical health. According to LiveStrong, exercise often leads to improved self-esteem, strengthens your bones and heart, and lowers your risk for chronic disease.

      2. Connect with others

Even if it’s your pets, classmates, friends, or family, connecting with others helps ward off depression and anxiety, all while helping boost attitude, positivity in your life, and build deeper connections with the people around you.

      3. Better your nutrition

In order to improve your wellness with nutrition, you need to have a positive attitude towards food as well. This does not mean starting a restrictive unhealthy relationship with food that affects your mental health but to rather better your relationship with it and incorporate more nutrient-rich foods into your diet. According to Aetna, doing this has been shown to reduce stress, help to think more clearly, and help with depression and anxiety symptoms.

From exercise to nutrition, there are so many different ways to better your mental wellness as well as help spread awareness about it. Celebrate Mental Wellness month by raising awareness and participating in campaigns all while making sure to take care of your own as well.