January is Mental Wellness Month

The rates of seasonal depression, loneliness, and post-celebration blues are at an all-time high following new year’s eve. Mental Wellness Month in January thus serves as a reminder to maintain and sustain your mental health, despite the ups and downs in life. One example of this is honoring the connection between your body and mind. For instance, many people make new year’s resolutions that include exercise, weight loss, and dieting. However, mental health and wellness are just as important as physical health.

There are 5 steps we can take to improve our mental health and well-being:

1) Connect with others

2) Be physically active

3) Learn new skills

4) Give to others

5) Practice mindfulness

Connecting with other people

Good relationships are important for mental well-being. They can help build a sense of belonging and self-worth, give opportunities to share positive experiences and provide emotional support and allow you to support others. There are lots of things you could try to help build stronger and closer relationships from simple activities such as spending more quality time with family and friends through to volunteering at a local charity or community group.

The film Alex Epstein: The Power of Volunteering, as well as the stories Kids Helping Kids is Run by Kids for Kids and Trash Heroes are examples of young people who have made a difference by identifying problems and coming up with solutions that supports the well being of those in their community and beyond.