Mental Health Awareness Month: Practical Tips for Balancing Mental Health

National Mental Health Awareness Month is here — the time of year when we check on each other and ourselves to ensure we are taking care of our mental well-being. 

Despite the prevalence of mental health issues, many are unaware of the resources and support that they have access to. Mental Health Awareness Month is celebrated every year to change this trend.

Read on for practical tips that can help you address your own mental health and find a healthy balance. 

What Is Mental Health Awareness Month?

Mental Health Awareness Month is held every year in May, ever since it was founded in 1949 by Mental Health America (MHA). 

It is sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) along with other important non-profit partnerships.

Goals of Mental Health Awareness Month include:

• Provide insights on advocacy and how people can join the movement to promote the importance of mental health care. 
• Connect people with support groups and other mental health resources and initiatives in their area such as workshops, lectures, and webinars. 
• Inspire people to implement suicide prevention strategies and education in their local schools and communities.
• Allow people to participate in fundraising and outreach opportunities. 

7 Practical Tips for Balancing Mental Health in 2025

If you are one of the nearly 60 million American adults who are living with mental illness, you may be able to benefit from these practical tips. 

1. Find the Source of Mental Health Stressors

Stress and mental health are often found hand in hand, and it’s important to understand your mental health triggers and stressors. 

These can include areas of your life or health like relationship problems, financial issues, loss or trauma, or spending too much time on social media. 

A therapist can help you identify common triggers in your own life, as well as help you to develop healthy coping mechanisms for managing them. 

2. Start with Improving Physical Health

Your physical health and mental health are very closely linked. By making your physical health a priority and incorporating certain activities into your daily routine, you are likely to find yourself feeling better mentally, too. 

A few ways you can work to improve your physical health are by:

• Staying hydrated
• Maintaining a healthy diet
• Getting enough sleep each night
• Exercising for at least 30 minutes each day

3. Implement Mindful Habits

When people are consumed with past events or continuously worrying about future possibilities, it can hurt their mental health and prevent them from enjoying the current moment. 

Mindfulness can help to combat these issues by keeping people in the present moment and free from their all-consuming worries. 

Mindful habits you can utilize include:

• Meditation can help with breath work and the observance of your own thoughts
• Journaling can help people to express their mental health issues on paper so they are not bottled up inside
• Gratitude writing can help people to focus on the positive aspects of their life and help incorporate appreciation into their daily routines

4. Focus on Human Connections

While many mental health conditions lead to symptoms of withdrawal and isolation from others, connecting with other humans is absolutely essential to our mental health. 

Connecting with others during times of poor mental health can be easier said than done, but research shows that it is well worth it. 

Ways that you can have better human connections include:

• Smile at strangers and try to strike up conversations with new people.
• Surround yourself with people who share common interests and goals. 
• Be more present by putting down your phone and making eye contact.
• Express appreciation to others.
• Ask meaningful questions and share your own vulnerabilities in return. 

5. Work Toward Finding Your Life’s Purpose

Finding your own life’s purpose doesn’t have to be as daunting as it sounds, and you do not need to change your entire lifestyle or leave your current career or city. In addition, finding purpose can mean different things for everyone. 

For some people, this can mean finding ways to give back to others and their community. For others, it can mean finding a career that brings them happiness and motivation to work harder. 

The important thing is to try different avenues until you find what aligns with your values and sense of self and brings you daily fulfillment. Having goals and purpose in life can lend to more well-rounded mental health.

6. Learn New Relaxation Techniques

Relaxation techniques can be a wonderful tool and powerful coping mechanism to help people manage both their stress and mental health triggers. Also, they can usually be performed comfortably at home.

Relaxation techniques for better mental health include:

• Breathing exercises
• Guided imagery and body scans 
• Meditation
• Repetitive prayer 
• Self-hypnosis 
• Yoga or Tai Chi

7. Stay the Path of Mental Health Recovery

Balancing your mental health can be difficult, and many people choose and find benefit from professional treatment programs and mental health services. 

There is never shame in doing so, and there are many mental health organizations who would be honored to provide their help, including Otter House Wellness in Asheville, NC. 

You may need inpatient treatment, or you may benefit best from therapy and outpatient care. Whatever your needs are, mental health treatment can help you learn to balance your mental well-being for a more fulfilling and enriched life.

Find Balanced Mental Health at Otter House Wellness

Mental Health Awareness Month is a great opportunity for us to check in on the mental health of our loved ones and acknowledge the overall impact that poor mental health can have. 

At Otter House Wellness, we are looking to both bring awareness to mental health issues and the treatments available, and improve the individual outcomes for our patients and guests. 

For more helpful tips on improving your mental health and navigating the path of recovery, contact us at Otter House Wellness today. 

Sources

• MedlinePlus. “How to Improve Mental Health.” Retrieved from: https://medlineplus.gov/howtoimprovementalhealth.html. Accessed on April 21, 2025. 
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). “Mental Health Awareness Month.” Retrieved from: https://www.nami.org/get-involved/awareness-events/mental-health-awareness-month/. Accessed on April 18, 2025.
• National Institute of Mental Health. “Caring for Your Mental Health.” Retrieved from: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/caring-for-your-mental-health. Accessed on April 18, 2025.