Each year, people across the nation recognize the month of May as Mental Health Awareness Month. This month-long health observance is a great time for community members to focus on mental health. A few ways community members can observe Mental Health Awareness Month are by learning about mental health topics, identifying local mental health resources, supporting local prevention and treatment efforts, and highlighting behaviors that may help to keep yourself mentally healthy.

Connections can help a person stay mentally healthy. These connections have benefits including increased self-esteem, increased happiness, reduced anxiety, increased empathy, improved relationships, and a greater life purpose. Connections can take place both internally within yourself and externally by interacting with those around you. Three types of connections that are important are connections to yourself, connection with friends and family, and connections to local resources.

Connect with Yourself: Self-care is the act of taking intentional steps to provide yourself with care. Self-care is accessible to anyone, can cost as much or as little as you would like, and does not have to be time consuming. Health screenings, health checkups, eating a balanced diet, staying hydrated, getting quality sleep, grooming, exercising, writing in a journal, breathing exercises, meditation, time management, spending time in nature, and practicing mindfulness are all forms of self-care that you may consider.

Connect with Friends and Family: Connecting with friends and family is a great way to get emotional support, learn from others’ experiences, and to have fun. Community members can maintain their current relationships by keeping in touch, whether that’s by sending a text or email, setting up a video conference meeting, making a phone call, sending a direct message on social media, or meeting up to spend time together. Community members can develop new connections to expand their social circle by volunteering, attending a class or training, joining a club, going to a community event, going to a health center, joining a committee at work, or by joining one of the Tillamook County Wellness walking groups.

Connect to local resources: Four resources to consider are the Tillamook County Wellness’s This Way to Well-Being, Tillamook County Wellness’s website, 2022 Best of Health and Wellness Guide, and prevention programs presented by the Tillamook Family Counseling Center.

• This Way to Well-Being: Tillamook County Wellness’s “This Way to Well-Being” map activity is an activity for both individuals and families. The points of interest on this map are health-focused and divided into categories that represent different aspects of well-being, including activities centered on connecting with yourself and others. These include attending a training, getting an annual check-up, checking in on a loved one, starting a daily gratitude routine, volunteering, and attending a community event. Visit our website to view the map and learn about how you can win a prize for participating in one of these activities.
• Tillamook County Wellness Website:  The Tillamook County Wellness (TCW) website is reliable place to get health and wellness information. The website features blogs, a community calendar, and information about local resources. Community members can find resources in the connect-well section of the website. This section includes resources for mental health services, chronic disease management, child development, childcare, community education, financial assistance, access to food, and so much more. 
• The 2022 Best of Health and Wellness Guide: This guide has a health and wellness directory, short bios of select local health providers, articles, and other resources. The guide can be downloaded at the Headlight Herald website.
• Tillamook Family Counseling Prevention Programs: Throughout the year, the Tillamook Family Counseling Center offers a variety of programs including underage substance use prevention, problem gambling prevention, suicide prevention, and parent supports. Two programs that will be offered in May are “Introduction to Underage Substance Use and Gambling Prevention” and Question, Persuade, and Refer Gatekeeper training (suicide prevention training). The “Introduction to Underage Substance Use and Gambling Prevention” presentation will be offered virtually May 9th from 10:00-11:00AM. The Question, Persuade, and Refer Gatekeeper training will be offered virtually May 11th from 10:00-11:30AM. For more information about these trainings email janeanek@tfcc.org.

To stay up to date on the latest wellness news be sure to sign up for the TCW newsletter and follow TCW on Facebook and Instagram.

AUTHOR: Janeane Krongos, Tillamook Family Counseling Center

Other wellness questions? Email us at info@tillamookcountywellness.org. For more local health and wellness information, visit www.tillamookcountywellness.org or follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook and Instagram.