Look Around, Look Within

 

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This year’s theme is “Look Around, Look Within”:

This Mental Health Month, challenge yourself to examine your world and how it can affect your overall health. Look around, look within – from your neighborhood to genetics, many factors come into play when it comes to your mental health.

 

It sometimes escapes our notice how much our surroundings — stable housing in safe communities with ample access to the outdoors and nature — affect our health:

Our surroundings play a significant role in shaping our thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and overall health, and learning about the impact of our surroundings on our mental health is a valuable way to take control of our own well-being.

 

Having stable and safe housing is important in maintaining mental health:

Housing is more than just protection from the outdoor elements. Safe and stable housing is a basic need, and it can be difficult or impossible to care for your mental health if that need is not met.

Stable (or secure) housing means that you aren’t living in uncertainty about your housing situation and generally have a choice over when to move. The opposite of this – housing instability – can mean you’re facing a number of different challenges, like struggling to pay rent, overcrowding in shelters, moving frequently, or spending most of your income on housing.

If you face the possibility of homelessness or move spaces frequently, the stress and anxiety of those situations can wear on you after a while, especially if you’re moving without much notice.

 

Create a healthy home environment by practicing tidiness, creating comfort, and checking air quality:

Optimizing your space to improve your mental health is something that anyone can benefit from. For those living with mental health conditions, it is one tool of many that can be used to improve and support your mental well-being.

 

Living in safe and secure neighborhoods and towns is also important:

Did you know that your ZIP code plays a role in your health? It might surprise you to hear that up to 60% of your health is determined by where you live. Your neighborhood, along with your town and larger geographical region, impacts your sense of community and belonging, and determines how easily you can access the things and services you need, including for your mental health.

Being close to the outdoors and nature boosts mental health:

Spending time in nature is linked to many positive mental health outcomes – improved focus, lower stress, better mood, and reduced risk of developing a mental health condition. Most studies on nature and well-being look at green spaces like parks and forests, but researchers are also beginning to look at blue spaces – places with ocean and river views. However, you don’t need a picture-perfect outdoor experience to get the benefits of nature.

 

Read Mental Health America’s toolkit for Mental Health Month here.

 

source https://www.thepediablog.com/2023/05/11/look-around-look-within/