Emergence Health Network recognizes the importance of January as Mental Health Wellness Month and wants to encourage the El Paso community to take time to care for their personal well-being.
“Getting treatment for a mental illness is obviously important, it’s like getting help for a physical illness such as diabetes. Mental Health Wellness is caring for all aspects of your life such as spiritual, emotional, social, physical and intellectual and this is just as vital,” said Celeste Nevarez, EHN Chief of Clinical Services. The World Health Organization (WHO), defines mental health as a “state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.”
“Mental wellness can affect our everyday lives. It can determine how we feel, how we think and act. It also plays a role in how we make decisions, interact with other people and handle stress. Think about it, we have been dealing with overwhelming stress for months now because of the COVID-19 pandemic so we really need to be mindful of our overall well-being,” adds Nevarez.
Factors that can affect your mental health and well-being include: Your genes, brain chemistry, physical health, relationships, coping skills, and life experiences. Factors that could negatively affect mental wellness include: Poor diet, stress, excessive smoking or drinking, avoiding problems, and trauma or abuse in your life.
So how can you improve a healthy state of mind, body, soul, emotions, and lifestyle? It’s about self-care.
- Exercise and eat a healthy diet
- Appreciate yourself by learning to recognize your personal strengths and weakness
- Build resilience to cope with and recover from negative events
- Develop and maintain healthy friendships and relationships
- Get enough sleep
- Help others
- Learn to be thankful for the good rather than focusing on the negative issues
- Get professional help if needed
“These are important tips, but what we really want our community to know is to reach out and get professional help if needed,” said Noreen Jaramillo, EHN Director of Communications. “EHN has excellent therapists and if an individual is having added stress because of the pandemic we have resources available. Help is here.”
