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May is Mental Health Awareness Month! While mental health is important to address year-round, Mental Health Awareness Month provides a dedicated time for people, organizations, and communities to join their voices to broadcast the message that mental health matters. BCCS will be sharing resources throughout the month with staff and families on ways to prioritize your mental health this spring.

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Here are topics and resources to explore this week: Connecting with Others

 

• Social connection is a building block for mental health. People thrive when feeling socially connected to other people. Both casual connections, like waving to a neighbor, and close intimate relationships help us thrive and feel connected to others and our community.

• We can all help promote belonging and support connection from individual actions to organizations and policies. Creating more welcoming communities and environments for everyone will support mental health and well-being. Here are some ways to build your social connection muscle: 

  • Small acts of kindness. Find ways to connect with people you see in your community. Ask neighbors about their plans for the weekend, thank the grocery store cashier, ask a customer about their child’s soccer game, say hello to the people you pass on the way to the bus stop. 

  • Prioritize connection in real life. Building friendships will help your mental health thrive. Host a gathering, meet for coffee, send a handwritten note, or call someone – connection reduces stress and promotes mental well-being for both of you. 

  • Volunteer. Helping others creates opportunities for connection and sense of purpose. Volunteering as a family is also a great tradition.

  • Get involved in community design, policies, and actions to influence social connections. For example, communities can prioritize creating walking and gathering spaces, and shared-use spaces to promote social connection. 

 

Resources:

• The U.S. Surgeon General’s 5-for-5 Connection Challenge

• Roadmap to Friends Supporting Friends

• Action Guide for Building Socially Connected Communities

• Help End Mental Health Stigma for Someone Else

This information is brought to you by the Minnesota Department of Health and MakeItOK.org. Click here to access more resources.