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Mental Health Awareness Month

May is the mental health awareness month since 1949.

While there are a lot of organizations and initiatives that exist for providing help, support, education and various aids, the number of people affected by depression, anxiety, stress and many other forms of debilitating mental conditions is on the rise.

Make a point to do something every day to raise your spirit, motivation, clarity, or simply give yourself a chance to feel better.  It only takes a few minutes!  Once you get into the habit of daily 'feel better' activities, you can add more to the list.  Practice is the key to healthy habits.

Here are a few ideas to reduce the risk of getting into or going deeper into depression:

Increase physical activity - even 15 minutes will give you a refreshing break (walk/run/bike, clean, do yard work, play with a pet)

Take a break - do something different for a few minutes to clear your mind (get water or a healthy snack, water the plants, load the dishwasher, take a bathroom break, walk the stairs)

Avoid exposure to news - tv and social media are full of negative news that affects a fragile mental state

Avoid negative people - you know who these people are so decline or reduce interactions as much as possible

Tackle one difficult task at a time - being overwhelmed is one of the sources of stress so set a goal to complete one uncomfortable/difficult task done (I usually do it in the morning) then reward yourself with something that you enjoy doing or any other treat that gives you pleasure

Get on the DRoad!

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