As we enter the summer months, it's an opportune time to reflect on our mental health and set short-term personal goals that align with the season. Perhaps you want to focus on increasing physical activity, exploring new hobbies, or cultivating stronger relationships with loved ones. Take a moment to consider what you hope to achieve in the coming months and how these goals can contribute to your mental well-being. Remember, these goals don't have to be grandiose; even small, incremental changes can have a profound impact. Embrace the power of counseling and setting short-term goals as you embark on a journey of self-discovery and self-care. Important to remember is that you should make these short term goals measurable and add a date to them. For example, “by June 30th I will have walked 10 miles”. It’s measurable and you have a date attached. Also, make sure that the short term goal is sustainable and attainable. If you think you are going to walk 100 miles by August 3oth, then how are you going to break that down so that you don’t get burned out? It might be better to say 10 miles by June 30th than the larger goal because it’s more likely you’ll attain it and be able to sustain it.

Reflect on the summer months ahead and set two short-term personal goals that prioritize your mental well-being. Consider activities or habits that resonate with you, contribute to your happiness, and align with the season. How do you envision these goals enhancing your overall mental health and fostering personal growth? Write about your aspirations, break them down into actionable steps, and explore how you can integrate them into your daily life. Embrace this opportunity to nurture your mental well-being and seize the summer months with intention and positivity.

When it comes to mental health, there is a lot of false information out there and unfortunately many of those inaccuracies can be negatively impactful to many people. Whether the “myths” of mental health stem from a place of ignorance or just people misinterpreting what they learn, it’s important to be aware of them and look at how they might impact you directly and your mental health journey. I’m going to list a few of these concepts and as you read through them, take a moment to really process them and if you’ve ever felt either 1) you believed this myth at some point in your life and it created a thought cycle for you that was unhelpful or 2) other people believed this myth about you and the impact that had.

“Mental health issues only impact people with lower intelligence levels”. This is pointedly false, mental health can be an issue for any person of any intelligence level. As well as anyone from any culture, background, or socioeconomic status.

“Mental health is only something you should worry about if you have a mental health diagnosis”. You can talk to a counselor or a therapist anytime you think something in your life isn’t working for you, you don’t need an actual diagnosis or a “big problem”. In fact, many mental health professionals encourage regular mental health check-ups similar to how you do them for your physical health.

“Teens don’t have mental health issues, they’re just moody and hormonal”. Teens do navigate fluctuating moods and hormones, but that does not negate the fact that significant numbers of teens are also facing mental health issues. It doesn’t have to be one or the other, it can be that teens are facing both hormones and moods as well as mental health struggles.

“Struggling with your mental health and seeking support is a sign of weakness”. Navigating a mental health issue has nothing to do with internal strength or willpower and asking for support is often a sign of strength.

“Adults and adolescents who have lots of friends and who are successful in work/school, won’t have mental health struggles like depression or anxiety”. There are a lot more factors to mental health struggles than simply being seen as popular or traditionally successful.

“Parents are to blame for mental health issues in their kids”. Mental health issues can occur due to numerous issues such as a traumatic event, challenging environmental situations, and other adverse experiences which parents may not be able to control for.

After reading through those myths, do any stand out for you? How did you feel reading them, did any seem to apply to a way of thinking you yourself have or have experienced? Have you ever had to rewire your thoughts about a mental health myth or challenge someone else’s?