May Is Mental Health Month: Live Your Life Well Tip #1

In honor of May is Mental Health Month, Mental Health America is encouraging all of us to “Live Your Life Well.” We are being challenged to promote health and wellness in our homes and our communities. Everyday, Americans are affected by a myriad challenges, stresses, and demands on their lives, and every day, people seek help for them. Stress can take a huge toll on a person’s health, mood, productivity, and relationships. The good news is that specific, evidence-based tools can help counterbalance these effects.

For the next 10 days, beginning with today, we’ll share a tip to help “Live Your Life Well:”

Tip #1: Connecting with others: fight stress with friendship.

Learn how to strengthen old bonds and build new ones. 71 percent of people surveyed turn to friends or family in times of stress. Humans are social animals; we crave feeling supported, valued, and connected. Connection helps to increase happiness as well. In one compelling study, a key difference between very happy people and less-happy people was good relationships.