The 2023 Mental Health Awareness Month campaign, More Than Enough, encourages individuals to celebrate their self-worth. Diagnoses, appearances, statuses, and abilities should never diminish a person’s value. This May, we invite you to prioritize yourself and focus on creating a supportive environment for your mental health.
Creating a supportive environment
Your home is where you live and spend a large amount of time, so it’s important that it is a source of comfort and peace. There are several ways you can mold your home into a safe space. For example, you can:
- Remove clutter – while no home needs to be pristine, clutter can have damaging psychological effects, including stress, depression, and loss of focus. Start small and tidy manageable spaces in a set amount of time. Setting and reaching goals, even cleaning goals, improves mood and confidence.
- Improve your quality of sleep – sleeping poorly can worsen mental health, and where you sleep can directly affect how well you are sleeping. Most people sleep best in cool, dark, and quiet spaces. Determine what conditions work best for you.
- Boost comfortability – your home should feel like an extension of who you are and highlight the best parts of you. How you decorate and furnish your spaces can produce a calming and comforting effect. This effect can be achieved by rearranging rooms or items until it feels right; you don’t need to purchase anything additional.
While it’s very important to have your home be a supportive environment, the outdoors can be used to improve your mental health, as well. For example, you can:
- Seek more green – around 70% of Mental Health America Connection survey respondents wished they spent more time outdoors. Parks, gardens, and even yards can produce feelings of positivity and connection. While it’s not always feasible to go out and spend time in nature, adding plants indoors can have similar outcomes.
- Soak in the sunlight – being in the sunlight releases serotonin and vitamin D, which increase focus and reduce stress. Most people feel the effects in only 10-15 minutes in the sun. If you struggle with getting out in the sun, light boxes produce similar effects.
This May, be sure to check in on your mental health and see where improvements can be made. While wellness is a continuous journey, remember you are More Than Enough. For additional resources, including textlines, screenings, and articles, click here.