health

Mental Health Awareness Month 2025

Nathan SmithLeave a comment

Well, here we are again – it’s Mental Health Awareness Month! Even though I feel like I say this every year, mental health is more important than ever. Whether it’s our own mental health or supporting others, there is a lot of awareness to raise and stories to share. So, as I do most years, I want to highlight a few campaigns to follow during Mental Health Awareness Month. Hopefully they resonate with you or someone you know; regardless of how you get involved, I hope this month is a helpful one in learning more about your own mental health, or mental health in general.

Mental Health America – “Turn Awareness Into Action”

Mental Health America is the organization that founded Mental Health Awareness Month in 1949. Since then, they’ve done an amazing job highlighting different aspects of mental health. This year, their theme is “Turn Awareness into Action,” which I love. The theme was chosen with the goal (Per Wikipedia) of:

“Celebrating the progress we’ve made in recognizing the importance of mental health — and challenging us to turn understanding into meaningful steps toward change.”

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times: awareness is important, but it’s just the first step when it comes to mental health. Turning awareness into action is a catchy tagline, but it’s harder than it sounds. You have to overcome so many challenges to get from awareness to action – things like bias, stigma, your own struggles, understanding the challenges…the list goes on. By emphasizing how we can take meaningful steps, MHA is driving change with action – a cause we can all get behind.

National Alliance on Mental Illness – “In Every Story There is Strength”

Since you’re reading a mental health blog this won’t shock you to read, but I still need to say it: I love this theme. I’ve always believed that each of us has a story when it comes to mental health, and every story matters. I’m glad to see NAMI agrees! From their website:

“In Every Story, There’s Strength,” highlights the resilience and diverse experiences that shape mental health journeys within our community. NAMI’s campaign celebrates the power of storytelling to fuel connection, understanding, and hope for those navigating their own mental health path.

Sharing our stories is brave. It’s important. It matters. There are no unimportant stories about mental health; you never know what sharing your story will mean to someone, what it could teach them about mental health or about themselves. There is power and strength in talking about mental health and the more we do it, the more we shrink the stigma and bring the conversation to the forefront.

SAMHSA – Mental Health Awareness Month Toolkit

What I love that SAMHSA (the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) does during Mental Health Awareness Month their toolkit! This toolkit that gives you everything you need to know and features vital information and resources about mental health. Key messaging, content, and messages of support just a few of the things inside, providing everything you need to raise your voice this month! SAMHSA’s work highlights an important connection between substance abuse and mental health challenges. This connection is often ignored or misunderstood, and one that all of us should pay more attention to.

What You Can Do During Mental Health Awareness Month

I won’t pretend that it’s an easy time to talk about mental health awareness right now. Things are changing faster than we can react to them, and they are constant. Everyone is just trying to stay afloat, and doing things like raising awareness and talking about hard things may not be ideal for you right now. That’s okay! Another good thing this month brings is a chance to check in. Whether it’s checking in on ourselves, our loved ones, or how those around us are taking care of their mental health, this month is a good time to try and reset on our approach to mental health and set us up for success in the days and months ahead. As I wrote this time last year:

“Whether we acknowledge it or not, mental health impacts us all. Mental Health Awareness Month is a time to shine a spotlight on this fact, to learn to live in a happy and healthy way.

And as always, that is the main takeaway. I’m sending positive thoughts and vibes to my readers as we continue to shrink the stigma and raise awareness on the topic of mental health.

What will you be doing to raise awareness during Mental Health Awareness Month? I’d love to hear it! Let me know in the comments.

How the 3-3-3 Rule Helped Me Manage Anxiety

Nathan Smith2 Comments

Over the years, I’ve learned many different techniques to help manage my anxiety. Some of them have proven to be extremely helpful (I’ve written before about the power of meditation and consistent exercise), while others have not always done the trick (I once tried to schedule a time for my anxiety – that was a long day!). Since I’m a firm believer that I should try something more than once when it comes to managing my anxiety, I try to make sure I give things a chance. While the first few times can be a little bumpy, sticking with some of these techniques have proven to be very valuable on my mental health journey. And that’s why I’d like to share more about the ‘3-3-3’ rule, how it’s helped me deal with anxiety, and how it can be a useful tool for you.

What is the 3-3-3 Rule?

The 3-3-3 rule is a popular grounding technique when someone’s experiencing anxiety symptoms. While some symptoms of anxiety are mental or emotional, symptoms can also be physical. It’s often those physical symptoms that can become very overwhelming when dealing with an anxiety or panic attack. When someone is feeling anxious, they can turn to the 3-3-3 rule to ground yourself and try to stop the spiral of anxious thoughts and feelings that might be happening. The specifics language isn’t always the same but generally speaking, it goes:

  • Notice three things you see around you
  • Identify three sounds that you hear
  • Move three parts of your body

That’s it! What I love about this rule is that it involves you using your senses, activating various parts of your body and encouraging them to slow down and take stock of the situation. There’s also no wrong way to do this. If three things you see around you are a floor, a ceiling, and a door, that’s okay. The act of identifying and naming those things can slow people down, taking them out of the moment they’re in. These actions are not meant to be complicated or solve your problems – they are simply meant to help slow down an anxiety spiral, or ground you in a moment where you might not feel all that present.

How the 3-3-3 Rule Has Helped Me

While I’d say this rule is relatively simple, it’s not always easy to put into action; you might not always know what’s going on when you’re experiencing an anxiety/panic attack. Thoughts might be difficult to put in the right order; confusion could set in. You might not feel comfortable in your own body, and everyday movements might seem foreign. And to be honest, that might not be the time for someone to tell you to use the 3-3-3 rule. Anxiety attacks have a tendency to make the simplest things seem like the most difficult, which is part of what makes the whole situation so frustrating.

I’ll be honest – when I’ve tried to do the 3-3-3 rule, I often fail in the fact that I don’t do all three steps. But it has helped me manage my anxiety in a big way and in fact, has changed the way I approach anxiety attacks. The point of this rule is not just to use your senses to ‘get out’ of the current moment; it’s recognizing that you might not be fully present, and it is trying to bring you back to that present moment. Maybe you name a bunch of items that are around you. Maybe you close your eyes and detect what you can hear or smell. Maybe you just tap your hands to your legs to remind yourself that you’re human. Over time, you might learn how anxiety attacks impact your body, and use this technique to confront those specific symptoms.

How to Put the 3-3-3 Rule to Use

Like most mental health techniques I’ve written about on this blog, there isn’t a wrong way to incorporate the 3-3-3 rule. The main goal of a grounding technique is to engage your senses, come back to the present moment, be within your body, and relieve yourself of overwhelming stress. However you do this (as long as you are doing this safely, it should be said!) is up to you. Ultimately, the 3-3-3 rule has had a tremendous impact on the way I view my anxiety, and I’d encourage anyone to explore it if they are struggling with anxiety symptoms.

Now I want to hear from you! Have you ever used the 3-3-3 rule to ground yourself? Are there other grounding techniques you’ve used that you’ve found effective? Let me know in the comments!

"Being able to be your true self is one of the strongest components of good mental health." Dr. Lauren Fogel Mersy

Resources for Finding Mental Health Support

Nathan Smith2 Comments

If you’re like me, you don’t need to read another post about *gestures wildly* what’s going on in the world today. If you’re also like me, you’re being bombarded with a constant influx of news alerts and notifications that don’t seem to stop from morning until night. While I’m not here to write about my opinions on the state of things (mostly because you didn’t ask, but also because I don’t want to end up writing an angry rant today), at least one thing is clear: 2025 (and the years ahead) are going to take a toll on our mental health and wellness. We will need to prioritize our mental health not only for our own sake, but for the sake of our communities and the ones we love.

But finding support for mental health isn’t always as simple or straightforward as it appears. That’s why I’ve come up with five places you can turn to if you’re seeking mental health support:

Explore the options in your area.

Whether they are state, county, or city-wide, local governments typically have departments dedicated to mental health (in many cases it will also be titled “behavioral health”). These sites provide information like local therapists, community response teams, care for everyone from youth to adults, and more. If you are looking for something local, this could be the place to start.

Learn about access to Employee Assistance Programs.

These programs, otherwise known as EAPs, are “designed to help employees address personal and professional issues affecting their well-being and job performance.” Services are confidential and can help employees manage issues like “stress, mental health concerns, substance use disorders, and work-related conflicts.” Many employers offer EAPs to their employees, and whether you use it one time or on a consistent basis, it is worth checking in with your employer to see what’s offered.

Call a hotline (you have options!)

When it comes to mental health support, many people know the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline number (988 in case you don’t), but did you know there are hotlines for many different things? Looking in my area alone, several local organizations and the local government all have hotlines to call to provide counseling support. I will reiterate that every local area is different, but local resources can also have a huge impact. If you haven’t yet, I would urge you to do an Internet search and see what comes up for you.

Join a support group.

I personally have not joined a group like this before (though I have participated in group therapy), but I strongly believe in groups like this and the organizations that support them. These groups are peer-led, and offer the unique chance for attendees to receive and provide support for one another – a dynamic that makes it unique to one-on-one therapy. The National Alliance on Mental Illness and Psychology Today could be good places to start your search.

Ask your doctor.

Unsure of where to start? Don’t want to dive into the world of mental health on your own? Talking to your primary care physician is a good place to start. They may be able to refer you to a doctor or therapist in your network, or help you create a plan for next steps to take. And, since your mental health and physical health are closely related, it can’t hurt to make sure your doctor hears about other parts of your health and wellness.

In Conclusion

Whether you need these resources yourself or know someone who does, I hope this serves as a reminder that there is more than one way to get support for your mental health challenges. We’re all trying to do the best we can right now, and a big part of that is offering support and guidance to those who are in need. We’re stronger together – always have been, always will be.

I’d love to hear from you – what are some other ways of receiving mental health support? And do you think it’s easy for people to reach out for this type of support, or does the stigma still get in the way? Let me know in the comments!

How Anxiety Leads to Assumptions

Nathan Smith2 Comments

Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about the impact that my experience with anxiety has on me. It impacts the way I see the world, the way I interact with it, and the way I interact with others. But after years of learning about myself and my anxiety, I’ve started to notice the patterns that my anxiety creates. One pattern in particular is how my anxiety can lead to making assumptions, and how those assumptions can create problems in my life that didn’t exist before. Anxiety can lead to assumptions and if we don’t make the connection, anxiety can lead you down a road of miscommunications and life being more difficult than it should be.

We all know that old saying about assumptions: “when you assume...” And the wordplay aside, this adage makes a good point. Assumptions, no matter what they’re about, can cause problems for everyone involved and despite our best efforts, we all make assumptions at some point or another. But assumptions can cause trouble when they guide our decision-making, and that’s where it’s important to acknowledge the relationship between anxiety, anticipation, and assumptions.

There’s a lot in this world that can make us anxious (thank you, GAD), but one of the things that can trigger anxiety is when we are confronted with the unknown. Oftentimes if we need an answer to a question or there’s a piece of information we can’t get the answer to, we get anxious. The anxiety itself isn’t a problem — it’s the fact that this anxiety leads to making assumptions, and then acting on those assumptions.

Anxiety is an interesting thing. Your brain can feel like it’s moving a million miles per hour but simultaneously, your body is staying still. You want to do five things at once and because of that, you do nothing. And in trying to deal with the physical and mental symptoms of anxiety, in feeling sped up and out of control, we can try to deal with a situation in the quickest way possible. And often, that solution is acting on assumptions.

Anxiety can take the form of thoughts, patterns and behaviors that impact our day-to-day lives. When left unchecked and unchallenged, these feelings can grow and fester in unhealthy ways. Knowing how my anxiety works hasn’t stopped me from having anxiety (unfortunately), but it has helped me understand myself more. I probably won’t stop making assumptions, but I’m hopeful that understanding the connection my anxiety has toward making assumptions will help me moving forward.

Making connections won’t always stop us from doing certain things, but it can help us learn patterns that have developed in our lives over the years. And in learning about these patterns, we can also unlearn them, and find a healthier way to see the world.

What do you think? Do you feel like you make a lot of assumptions in your day-to-day life? How does that impact your mental health?

How My Depression Changed Over Time

Nathan Smith2 Comments

You know, it’s funny. You would think, after ten years of living with depression, of experiencing it on and off, I’d have a better understanding of it by now. Some days I feel like I do. I feel like I understand why I’m experiencing symptoms, or I know exactly what I can do to alleviate these symptoms and feel better. But other days, it’s like I’m dealing with depression for the first time. Maybe that sounds like I haven’t learned much about depression, but I’d disagree. For me, there’s a difference between learning about depression and learning about how to deal with my own depression — and that’s what I’d like to talk about today.

When I first learn about a new idea or concept, I love to take in as much information as I can. I don’t know if this is the most helpful way to learn, but it’s my instinct to cast a wide net. Early on in my journey with depression, I cast as wide of a net as I could. I read books, listened to podcasts, watched videos, and tried to glean as much as I possibly could about what it’s like to live with depression. And even though I learned a lot that was helpful, I was also overwhelmed with the amount of information and experiences that exists. Not all the information I learned worked for me, and I got frustrated quickly.

I’ve written about this on the blog before – when it comes to dealing with depression, what might work for me might not work for you, and so on and so forth. But this isn’t simply a message of finding what works for you. What’s gotten me frustrated lately is to see how my depression has changed and adapted to the changes in my life as I continue to move through it. The intrusive thoughts have changed course, attacking different areas of my mental health. The things I was insecure or anxious about at 20 years old aren’t the same things that exist today, and my brain knows that. The symptoms of depression may not change for people over the years but sometimes, it feels like they come from everchanging sources.

At some point in talking about depression, I realized I had to change my focus. Instead of learning as much about the topic as I could, I needed to learn more about myself. I needed to learn about my instincts, my habits, how I dealt with success and failure. I didn’t really know myself, and that lack of self-knowledge was a barrier to mental wellness.

That’s not to say any of this is easy; getting to know ourselves is a life-long journey. We’re constantly growing and changing, and so is the world around us. This is all to say that what’s true for us one day might not be true a few years down the road, and that’s okay. The better we come to know and understand ourselves, the better equipped we are to deal with the mental health challenges in our lives. I know that despite everything, I am better equipped to handle my depression than I did ten years ago, and that fact gives me strength for the present and hope for the future.

I’d love to hear from you on this topic! Do you think the way you experience mental health challenges changes over time? What tips or techniques have you done to help improve your own mental health? Let me know in the comments!

Reflecting on the Seven Types of Rest

Nathan Smith7 Comments

After writing my most recent post about misunderstanding the meaning rest, the idea continued to sit in my mind. As I wrote in that post, it’s clear that many of us know we’re not getting enough rest. Even the people who are getting enough rest feel like they aren’t. And in the way the world has changed in recent decades, there are more reasons than ever for exhaustion. But did you know just how many different types of rest exist? In the spirit of trying my best, I decided to look into these various types and share what I’ve learned.

The seven types of rest

The inspiration for this post came from a TED article titled “The 7 types of rest that every person needs.” I learned a lot of things reading this article, and not only that there are different types of rest! We tend to think of rest as inaction, as not moving or being alone. Whether that’s an American way or a Western way of thinking, that’s how I’ve seen rest portrayed in my life. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say resting is synonymous with sleeping – but actually, it’s much more.

Something this article opened my eyes to is the fact that rest happens when we have the time and space to do so. It’s difficult to rest if you’re stressed, don’t feel comfortable, or have pressing things to do. Removing yourself from situations is often seen as the optimal version of rest. That said, it was interesting to learn that rest can also involve enjoying things you love or being around people who fill up your cup.

While physical rest is important, it’s far from the only type. Other types of rest include mental, sensory, creative, emotional, social, and spiritual. What I love about this variety of rest is that each type of rest fills a unique need for people. It reminds us that we’re all different and that we need different things. As someone more introverted, focusing on sensory rest and social rest might be more important to me than other people. At the same time, some people value having more or less emotional rest than myself. We are all different, which means we have different needs.

Shifting how we view wellness

This lesson on rest not only helped shift the way I view my mental health, but wellness in general. There are so many ways we can take care of ourselves and in that same vein, there are so many ways to rest. Rest is more than sleep, and sleep alone won’t always give us the restoration we need.

It can be frustrating to learn that sleep isn’t always the answer, but I’m choosing to lean in. When you think about it, rest and mental health have a lot in common. Just as there is not one way to rest, there isn’t only one way to take care of our mental health. The more we learn, the more we grow, and the better equipped we are to get what we need. In whatever ways you rest, I hope you learn how rest can provide restoration and rejuvenation – something each one of us deserves.

"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." - Arthur Ashe

A Reflection on Comfort Zones

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When you read the words comfort zone, what comes to mind? You might think of the way people tell us to leave them; you might wonder if you’re in one right now. A comfort zone might not be a place at all; it could be a feeling or a moment in time. It could even be a way of doing things you’re comfortable with, a routine or rhythm. Every year around this time, the idea of comfort zones pops into my head. I reflect on my own, but I also think about the idea itself. Why is it so important that we go out of our comfort zones, and why do we talk about it all the time?

As with many of the terms I talk about on this blog, I like to start with a definition. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a comfort zone is defined as:

“A situation in which you feel comfortable and in which your ability and determination are not being tested.”

Cambridge Dictionary

When I think about how often I’m in my comfort zone, I have a hard time coming up with a good answer. It’s possible (if not probable) that I’m in my comfort zone a majority of the time. It makes sense; people have their daily routines, and finding a rhythm in my daily life is important to me. For some people, the problem might not be that they’re stuck in their comfort zone; it could be that they can’t even determine where that is.

Sometimes, we don’t know we’re in our comfort zone unless we’re removed from it. And that removal can be abrupt, swift, and uncomfortable. But it’s also where we can find out new things about ourselves, who we are, and what helps us grow. It’s that growth that can provide meaningful change in our lives, that can move us to take charge and take action.

As we start the new year, it would be easy for me to write a post urging you to get out of your comfort zone. How it’s important to get out of our comfort zones, why it’s necessary for growth, and why enough of us don’t do it. But that type of post leaves out a key aspect of comfort zones, and about change in general. Creating change and getting out of your comfort zone can happen to you, just as much as you can make it happen yourself. Encouraging someone to ‘get out of their comfort zone,’ while helpful, puts the onus on a person to create change (which is hard to do).

When it comes to comfort zones, we all have different challenges to face. What might feel impossible for one person is easy for someone else. But the thing is, if you’re looking to get out of your comfort zone, I’d encourage you to look for the opportunities that will inevitably come your way. Because the truth is, opportunities to get outside your comfort zone exist all around us – we just need to keep our eyes and hearts open for these moments.

What is your take on comfort zones? Do you think they help people grow, or do they cause stress and create burdens? Why do you think it’s so important that we break out of them? Let me know in the comments!

"One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again." - Abraham Maslow

Jumping From One Thought to Another

Nathan Smith2 Comments

One aspect of mental health that I think is fascinating is the idea of high-functioning mental illness. I’ve written posts about high-functioning anxiety and high-functioning depression and even though I’ve learned a lot about both over the years, there is still so much to learn. Lately, I’ve thought a lot about how my brain works when I’m experiencing high-functioning anxiety – the way I race to get things done, the pressure I put on myself to finish things by the arbitrary (often unrealistic) deadlines I’ve set. Today, I want to reflect on why it can sometimes be challenging to race from one thing to another all the time.

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The Learning Curve of Mental Health

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When it comes to my mental health, one thing I can always count on is that it won’t be too long before I learn something new. Sometimes it’s a mental health or psychological term. Other times it’s a phrase, or a more accurate description than one I’d been using. After ten years of living with depression and anxiety, there’s still a lot to learn. And while there are many ways to learn these lessons, today I want to reflect on how experience is often the best teacher.

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Remembering to Connect the Dots

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The other morning, I went for a run. I’m training for a half-marathon (my first one ever – please send some positive vibes my way!), so some of my runs are getting progressively longer. This run, in particular, was pretty grueling. It was longer than I had gone in a long time, and included some steep hills that seemed to come out of nowhere. Why am I telling you about this? Because after this run, I learned yet another lesson about connecting the dots between my physical health and my mental wellbeing – and it’s a lesson I always benefit from.

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