This week is the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Mental Health Week. It reminds all Canadians to take care of their mental health, and to reach out for help and resources when they need it. This year’s theme is #GetReal about how you feel, name it, don’t numb it, reminding everyone to focus on how naming, expressing, and dealing with our emotions is important for our mental health. Many of us may be feeling uncertain and worried about different aspects of our lives, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. During times like these, it is very important to take care of our mental health and well-being and to remember we are not alone.
Good mental health isn’t about being happy all the time. In fact, a mentally healthy life includes the full range of human emotions—even the uncomfortable ones like sadness, fear and anger. It’s okay not to be okay, but if you are struggling or feeling overwhelmed, reach out to a loved one or health professional for support.
The Halton Region branch of the CMHA is a great resource that offers free telephone counselling and other
mental health and addiction supports to help you support a friend or family member. To find out how these services may help you and your family, please visit the
CMHA’s website. I also encourage you to visit our
Mental Health webpage for a list of other agencies for people of all ages that provide their services online or over the phone.
Here are some tips to support your mental health during COVID-19:
- Stay informed: It is good to stay updated on COVID-19 but avoid excessive exposure to media coverage of the virus. Periodically check the news and recommendations from trusted sites, such as halton.ca/COVID-19 or covid-19.ontario.ca.
- Structure your daily routine: Be specific about when you will go to bed, get up, exercise, eat, shower, dress, work and clean. Keep your mind focused and busy by controlling what you can.
- Take care of yourself: Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, practice meditation and get plenty of sleep.
- Exercise regularly: Exercise is helpful for assisting the body to cope with stress.
- Keep a daily journal: Write out thoughts and feelings—it’s an excellent way to process them.
- Stay positive: Look for opportunities that can help you laugh and have a bit of fun. Focus your energy on positive thinking, and practice being grateful for what you have.
- Make daily social connections: Set times for when you will phone, text, email or video chat with people you care about.
- Seek support when you need it: Regularly reach out to loved ones or call a mental health professional in the community if you need help.
Halton Region is also continuing to work with community partners to enhance access to mental health supports for children and youth through our
Community Safety and Well-Being Plan (CSWB). Reach Out Centre for Kids (ROCK) and Halton’s core service providers of child and youth mental health services have established a new model of access and system navigation to make it easier for children, youth and their families to connect to the programs and services best suited to meet their needs. To learn more about this important work, please visit the
CSWB webpage.
Please continue to take care of yourself and your loved ones and to get real about your mental health and well-being—not just during Mental Health Week, but throughout the year. For more information on mental health supports in Halton, please visit
halton.ca.