Mental Health Month is Here

The focus is “More Good Days Together.” Use Mental Health America’s (MHA) 2026 Action Guide to encourage more conversations, reduce stigma and foster community support. ESPN, the NBA and MLB are running stories, advertisements and public awareness campaigns with notable athletes.

Create “Good Days”: Focus on small, manageable actions. Connect with friends, manage your time, and understand that “good” is personally defined.

Daily Resets: Use quick techniques when overwhelmed, such as 5-second breathing exercises (inhale 4 seconds, exhale 6) or 2-minute “brain dumps” on paper.

“5 Resets” Technique: Utilize the “5 Resets” by Dr. Aditi Nerurkar (Touch, See, Taste, Smell, Hear) to build resilience through sensory engagement.

Digital Detox: Limit screen time to reduce anxiety.

Nurture Connections: Prioritize in-person or virtual check-ins with colleagues and friends to reduce isolation

Social media use linked to rising attention problems in teens a new study finds

Torkel Klingburg, Cogmed’s inventor and Chief Science Officer led a longitudinal study over four years with over 8,000 children that put a spotlight on how screen use shapes attention. After following children from age 10 to 14 they discovered higher social media use – not gaming or overall screen time – is linked to rising attention problems and ADHD symptoms. With social media use predicting later inattentiveness. Cognitive neuroscientists suggest social media introduces constant distractions, preventing sustained attention to any task. This research suggests that attention training is critical because social media use has skyrocketed to about 5 hours per day for the average teen. Not only is reducing social media use amongst children and teens important but utilizing attention training like Cogmed can be a game changer. Training focus and attention matters more than ever in a world designed to distract.

Suicide Prevention Month

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, September 6-12 is Suicide Prevention Awareness Week, and September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Awareness Day. Here are some common risk factors NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) has found on suicide:

  • ​​Prior suicide attempts
  • Family history of suicide
  • History of mental health conditions such as severe depression, anxiety disorders, and psychotic disorders
  • Substance misuse
  • Impulsivity or aggressiveness
  • Serious family problems
  • Breakups or other major relationship losses
  • Access to means for self-harm (unsecured firearms, prescription medications, poisons)
  • Social isolation
  • History of traumatic experiences such as sexual violence or severe episodes of racial prejudice/violence, bullying
  • Lack of access to mental health care
  • Multiple exposures to suicide in one’s community or through unsafe coverage of suicide in the media

If you notice a friend, family member, or peer experiencing suicidal ideation or thoughts, it is important to get help and support early. The first step is to contact a licensed mental health clinician or schedule an appointment with an existing clinician. If an immediate matter arises, go to your nearest hospital,  or call 988, the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Use this entire month to show support and advocate for suicide prevention

Nest is empty

Hoping everyone has a smooth move into a new school year. I’ve had my daughter recently graduate and now my son is off to college for the first time. If you have a student or someone close to you who is away at college the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has a guide. Starting college – or even starting a new semester – brings big changes to your schedules, your routines, and your day-to-day needs. It can also have a big impact on your mental health. It’s important to possess tools to support your mental health as you embark on your college journey. The Mental Health College Guide is free and available online. It has sections about taking care of your mental health, navigating relationships and self-care, staying safe on campus, and more.

Other Resources:
NAMI Teen & Young Adult HelpLine is a free, confidential nationwide peer-support service that provides one-on-one emotional support, mental health information and resources needed to tackle your tough challenges. Text “Friend” to 62640 or call 1-800-950-6264. 
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 if you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide or experiencing a mental health crisis. Call or text 988 to connect with a trained crisis counselor 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or you can chat online at chat.988lifeline.org.

Summertime Healthy Tech Habits

The middle of a hot summer is the perfect time to address ours and our children’s screen habits. It’s easy when the weather outside creeps toward triple digits, kids get bored, parents get tired and activities or vacations slow to increasingly rely on screens. Writing for Behavioral Health News, Temitope Fabayo discusses digital well-being, the dangers of excessive technology use and strategies for improving ours and our family’s digital well-being.

Average Screen Time Stats 2025

The average American spends 7 hours and 3 minutes looking at a screen each day.

Globally, people average 6 hours and 40 minutes of screen time per day.

Daily screen time has increased by over 30 minutes per day since 2013.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Since 1949 during the month of May we celebrate National Mental Health Awareness Month. The goal is to raise public awareness about mental health conditions, reduce stigma, and encourage people to get help when needed. This year the theme is “In Every Story, There’s Strength led by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. This highlights the resilience and diverse experiences that shape mental health journeys within our community. Mental Health Awareness Month was founded by Mental Health America. It’s the nation’s leading nonprofit dedicated to the promotion of mental health, well-being, and condition prevention. Their impact has led to 21 million people screened for mental health conditions, 31 million people reached through public education programs, and $1.3 million raised for mental health programs. They have a planning guide and tips if you are looking for ways to get involved, learn, donate or share on social media.