Written by: Melissa Enoch, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Mental Health Month was established in 1949 by Mental Health America and many have observed this month through media, local events and screenings. Mental Health America understands that mental health issues may need to be addressed with respect to individuals’ values, beliefs, sexual orientations, race, ethnicity, religion and language. To this end, as a private practice clinician and founder of a non profit dedicated to offering the opportunity for women to communicate freely, my goal was to attend, participate and create as many opportunities for individuals’ to learn more about mental health issues, learn about stressors and stress management and learn more about self-care. Events such as a short workshop assisting individuals know about their areas of concerns, facilitating two meet-ups as a representative for Licensed Clinical Counselors of North Carolina focusing on mental health professionals, providing a point-of-contact for an Employee Assistance Program during their annual benefits fair and hosting an event for Seniors reminding them that they are special, too. All of these events were demonstrations of the examples of ways individuals could do “self-care”.
According to Google Trends, the number of searches for “self-care” has nearly quadrupled since 2018 (Lawler, M, 2021). With the pandemic, many individuals saw themselves struggling with a host of stressors, from returning to work, to health scares, to layoffs, to increased productivity being required and many others. Individuals initially struggled to adapt to the pandemic and its conditions, but was able to make the adjustments needed to thrive only to have to learn many ways of life pre-pandemic all over again. With many thinking the answer lies in lessening the effect of the stress through seeking self-care. Many people define self-care as vacations, spas and massages, but The World Health Organization defines self-care as “the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health and cope with illness and disability with or with the support of a health worker (Lawler, M., 2021)
In order to build a better you, individuals are encouraged to determine the areas of concerns that cause the most stress including challenges with time management, stress management, procrastination, control and other ways that stress affects their health, sleep, eating and other basic needs. Individuals are then instructed to review any efforts that they are already attempting to alleviate the stress including regular doctor visits, relaxing activities and reading to name a few. Imagery is provided to demonstrate the areas of needs versus the areas of strengths and then offered the opportunity for education, enrichment and enlightenment and by learning more about the effects of stress, participation in enriching activities such as mindfulness exercises and then allowing them the opportunity to share with others.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and individuals are encouraged to take full advantage in attending all activities throughout the month learning ways that these things can be implemented throughout the year. Hopefully, the number of events will double or triple in the years to come.
Lawler, M. (2021, May 19). What is self-care and why is it important for your health? EverydayHealth.com.
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Melissa Enoch, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Melissa Enoch is Owner/CEO/Director of Trinity Counseling Services LLC, a private substance abuse and mental health facility located in Burlington and Charlotte, where she uses her twenty-eight years of experience to educate individuals about various mental health and substance use disorder topics. Melissa is also the founder of Women of Strength, a non-profit educational organization focused on women's networking and community awareness. In her spare time, Melissa is interested in making jewelry, shooting photography, and mentoring young professionals.
