Good Morning! Here’s the Monday Morning Blog!
Did you get a chance to touch base with that teen or young adult in your life last week? Be sure to check in with them. Ask them what they are thinking about or if anything may be bothering them. And be ready to listen.
May’s Theme – Mental Health Awareness Month
Since 1949, Mental Health America and affiliates have observed May as being Mental Health Month. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website, each year millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental illness.
There are many messages popping up on social media with resources to help. The CDC currently has a Public Service Announcement which pops up when you search for mental health awareness on Google.
Be Kind to Your Mind:
Tips to cope with stress
PAUSE – Breathe and notice how you feel
TAKE BREAKS – from internet content
MAKE TIME – to sleep and exercise
REACH OUT – and stay connected
SEEK HELP – If overwhelmed or unsafe
This month I am going to focus on bringing more awareness to mental health. Check out my mentor page and see how I am doing it Selma P. Verde – Mentor Page
Mental Health Awareness and Acceptance
With different months focusing on a certain illness or cultural group, each one is bringing awareness. We can be aware of these things, but that is only half of the picture. Along with awareness comes acceptance. In this case, it is becoming aware of mental illness and the importance of mental health and then accepting that mental health matters.
Who is NAMI?
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
According to their website, NAMI,
NAMI provides advocacy, education, support and public awareness so that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives. They do this through their five core values.
Hope: We believe in the possibility of recovery, wellness and the potential in all of us.
Inclusion: We embrace diverse backgrounds, cultures and perspectives.
Empowerment: We promote confidence, self-efficacy and service to our mission.
Compassion: We practice respect, kindness and empathy.
Fairness: We fight for equity and justice.
How does NAMI work?
According to their website, NAMI does the following things for people with mental illness and the people that care for and support them.
We educate. Offered in thousands of communities across the United States through NAMI State Organizations and NAMI Affiliates, our education programs ensure hundreds of thousands of families, individuals and educators get the support and information they need.
We support. Throughout the country, our NAMI State Organizations and Affiliates host support groups, for both those with mental illness and caregivers, so that no one feels alone in their mental health journey.
We advocate. NAMI shapes national public policy for people with mental illness and their families and provides volunteer leaders with the tools, resources and skills necessary to save mental health in all states.
We listen. Our toll-free NAMI HelpLine allows us to respond personally to hundreds of thousands of requests each year, providing free information and support—a much-needed lifeline for many.
We lead. Public awareness events and activities, including Mental Illness Awareness Week (in October) and NAMIWalks, successfully fight stigma and encourage understanding. NAMI works with reporters on a daily basis to make sure our country understands how important mental health is.
Special Programs for teens and young adults
The NAMI website has a special section for teens and young adults Kids, Teens and Young Adults. This is a great source of information to help them find the mental health support they need. The site addresses things like
Finding Help
How to talk to my friends
How do I talk to my parent or guardian
Social Media and Mental Health
Your Mental Health and School
As I read through this section of their site, one of the things that really stuck with me is the tips on how a teen can talk to their parents or guardian about their mental health concerns. It brought up things like,
Be open when your teen or young adult wants to talk to you about how they are feeling. Take the time to go for a walk if they ask you to.
It is a big deal that they are reaching out and they are probably feeling a lot of anxiety about it. Don’t make it worse for them by dismissing them or making their concerns not be important to you. It could force them away and create a bigger problem.
Be sure to check out this page if you have teens or young adults in your life. It is great information and insight for you and them.
NAMI helps people with mental illness
Through its educational programs and its public outreach, NAMI promotes mental health awareness. Their website is full of general information and ways to get information specific to the questions you or your teen may be asking.
There are more than 600 locations of NAMI throughout the US. Reach out to your local NAMI for more information or to get involved in their cause to educate people about mental health. It would be a way to become more aware and accept that Mental Health Matters.
For more information about NAMI, here is a link to their website NAMI.
$.99 eBook sale coming up soon!
The Way Series is a coming-of-age series for teens and young adults. It focuses on challenges that teens can face while growing up. The Hard Way is the first book, and it is a relatable story about peer pressure and Shawn’s Way is a relatable story about bullying. These books may help you to start a conversation with your teen about these issues or may give them a story they can relate to about something they may be facing.
An eBook sale is coming up on June 2-5, 2022, when the eBook versions of both books will be $.99 each. What a great time to pick up your very own copies. Here is a link to my books tab – Selma’s Books.
