You are Blooming in May
Mental Health Tips and Awareness for May!
Welcome to May you beautiful human!
(Insert Justin Timberlake meme here)
In Arizona the weather is warming up, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, the seatbelt buckles will soon be burning all of our arms and I have to tell you, I’m ready for it!
May is such a beautiful month, not only is it my grandma’s birthday month but also its the month at which blooming is in full effect.
It signifies rebirth and to my knowledge and lots of scrolling on the internet, it is Mental Health Awareness Month!
In today’s blog we are going to go over some helpful mental health tips for your month of May!
I challenge you to utilize these tips and maybe even carry on with them for the months to come!
Read a Paragraph of Something Everyday
Start your morning off sitting with your coffee, herbal tea, matcha, caffeinated tea, or water with lemon and read SOMETHING.
Pull out that rusty book you’ve been wanting to read and walking past for months or years and just dedicate 5 minutes to reading a passage from it.
This morning I started my day reading two passages from two different books.
One of them is for daily affirmations, the other is yoga related and how to implement yogic practices into your life. Those two books set me up for a great mindset for the rest of the day.
Benefits of reading one small paragraph a day:
- Reading starts your day off on a good note
- Sets out a time to connect with yourself
- Assists in gaining new vocabulary
- Helps cultivate new perspectives
- Sense of accomplishment and grounding
What do you think? Want to give it a try?
A Phone Call a Day Keeps the Blues Away
I know, I sound old. You’re probably thinking “this lady whack, we don’t talk on our phones anymore” but seriously… hear me out before you click out of this post.
I’ll keep it fresh and modern.
Many of us who have mental health issues (myself included, ain’t no shame in my game) want to stay in bed all day, or we want to isolate ourselves.
If you force yourself to call your mom, dad, in laws, send a voice message to your bff even (to keep it modern), you are much more likely to gain the momentum to do other things.
Benefits of calling one person a day:
- Gain momentum for other activities or chores
- Sense of accomplishment
- Assists in cultivating stronger relationships in your life
- You get to be there for others, which in turn makes you feel appreciated
- Assists with accountability
What do you think?
Give it a try and at the end of the month let me know on this post!
EAT SOMETHING in the Morning
For the love of all beings on this planet and for the love of yourself, nourish your body! I understand intermittent fasting is a thing these days, I understand there are health benefits, I get it.
Personally, I would pass out if I tried that. Just my opinion and what works for my body.
This is going to depend on your eating preferences and diet obviously.
I will tell you though, if you are someone that struggles with depression, eating a meal with protein, fat and carbs is going to help your mood at the beginning of your day. There aren’t commercials about being hangry for nothing.
Benefits of eating in the morning:
- You start your day off energized
- You are more alert
- You are able to concentrate better
- Your mood is better
- Sense of accomplishment for taking care of yourself
Implement One Breath Exercise a Day
I always knew breathing exercises were good for me, it’s not necessarily the norm these days to try them though unless you are into yoga or you are known as somewhat of a “hippie”.
Totally fine with me, when you start living in line with your values those comments and opinions bother you less and less.
A breathing exercise I am fond of lately is alternate nostril breathing. You can perform this two ways — Nadi Shodhana or Anulom Vilom.
Allow me to explain
Nadi Shodhana: You inhale through one nostril, hold at the top (2–3 seconds), exhale through the other.
Anulom Vilom: You inhale through one nostril, and exhale through the other nostril.
Do this for about 5 minutes a day.
Benefits of alternate nostril breathing:
- Calms the nervous system
- Promotes overall well-being
- May improve lung function
- Improves brain function
- Sense of accomplishment for promoting ease within the body
What do you think?
I tried to include tips that are not as saturated as “going for a walk” a day. Although I strongly believe in that too!
Happy May and please let me know if you give any of these a try!
Look forward to you blooming this summer!
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