news-record.com

“How are you feeling today?”

If someone were to ask you that question, what would be your response? Would you think to tell them about your physical health, your mental health, or both?

On a day-to-day basis, you probably ask other people how they are feeling fairly frequently, but how often do you ask yourself, “How am I feeling today?”

Mental wellness is commonly ignored in a self-assessment of general well-being.

Many of us view mental health as someone else’s concern. We pay little attention to our own mental wellness. However, paying attention to our physical and mental condition are equally important.

Self-awareness helps us to notice and identify symptoms of illness at the earliest stages when interventions and treatments can be most effective. People who are proactive about taking care of their minds and bodies tend to live longer and happier lives.

During May, you will be reading and hearing a lot about mental wellness as the annual celebration of Mental Health Month unfolds. The theme of this year’s National Mental Health America campaign is “Live Your Life Well” and stresses the importance of paying as much attention to your mental health as to your physical well-being. NMHA has set up a Web site devoted to the subject of building a mentally healthy lifestyle. The site, www.liveyourlifewell.org, includes “The 10 Tools to Live Your Life Well:”

• Connect with others.
• Stay positive.
• Get physically active.
• Help others.
• Get enough sleep.
• Create joy and satisfaction.
• Eat well.
• Take care of your spirit.
• Deal better with hard times.
• Get professional help if you need it.

The list includes steps that help both your mind and body. Both systems support and enhance one another. An illness or disorder in one system adversely affects the other.

Good health begins with a nurturing concern for self.

Local resources for information about Mental Health Month activities and community events include:

• Mental Health Association in Greensboro: www.mhag.org, 373-1402.
• Mental Health Association in High Point: www.mhahp.org, 883-7480.
• High Point Regional Behavioral Health: Go to www.highpointregional.com/ourservices and click on “High Point Behavioral Health.” Or call 878-6098 or (800) 525-9375.
• Moses Cone Behavioral Health: www.mosescone.com/body.cfm?id=43, 832-9700 or (800) 711-2635.
• The Guilford Center: www.guilfordcenter.com, (800) 853-5163 or TTY 866- 518-6778.

Contact Penny Casto, public information specialist with the Guilford Center, at pcasto@GuilfordCenter.com. The Guilford Center is deals with public mental health, developmental disabilities and substance abuse services.