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Live Your Life Well

During these difficult times, the Mental Health Association in Greensboro wants to provide community members with tools that can buffer the effects of stress and help them cope better with the many challenges they face.

This May, in honor of Mental Health Month, the Association is taking part in the Live Your Life Well Campaign to provide community members with 10 specific, research-based tools that can combat stress and promote health and well-being.

With increasing economic troubles piled on to the stress of work and family demands, more and more Americans are suffering. In fact, 58% of Americans reported struggling in their lives at the end of 2008, according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. This represents an increase of more than 22 million Americans who reported struggling earlier in the year.

“The economic crisis has added to the stress that American families are facing, and many people may be experiencing depression and anxiety as well,” said Blair Benson, executive director of the Mental Health Association in Greensboro. “People tell us they often feel hopeless, but there are tools they can use to face difficult times with greater resiliency.”

“Research is clear that mental health is essential for overall health and well-being,” said Benson. “Each May we make a concerted effort to ensure that the community recognizes the important of mental wellness, and work to reduce the stigma that is often associated with mental illness.”

The Live Your Life Well program details the 10 tools and many of their benefits, including:

• Connect with Others. Research suggests that people who feel connected are happier and healthier - and may even live longer.

• Stay Positive. People who regularly focus on the positive in their lives are less upset by painful memories.

• Get Physically Active. Exercise relieves tense muscles, improves mood and sleep, and increases energy and strength.

• Help Others. Research suggests that those who consistently help other people experience less depression, greater calm, and fewer pains.

• Get Enough Rest. People who don't get enough sleep face a number of possible health risks, including weight gain, decreased memory, impaired driving, and heart problems.

• Create Joy and Satisfaction. Positive emotions can boost a person's ability to bounce back from stress.

• Eat Well. Eating healthy food and regular meals can increase energy, lower the risk of developing certain diseases, and influence mood.

• Take Care of Your Spirit. People who have strong spiritual lives may be healthier and live longer. Spirituality seems to cut the stress that can contribute to disease.

• Deal Better with Hard Times. People who get support, problem-solve, or focus on the positives in their lives are likely to handle tough times better.

• Get Professional Help if You Need It. If the problems in life are stopping a person from functioning well or feeling good, professional help can make a big difference.

More details on each of the tools are available on the campaign website, which is free to the public at www.LiveYourLifeWell.org. Additionally, the Greensboro community can contact the Mental Health Association in Greensboro at 336.373.1402 or www.mhag.org for more information on local resources, including the Association’s 10 peer-led, self-help support groups and various other events scheduled in recognition of May as Mental Health Month.