May is Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM) and in celebration of many personal battles people are fighting with their own mental health, we’ve created a guide to organizations and nonprofits that are changing the game in the mental health space and providing an outlet or platform to either discuss your personal battle, explore others’ transparent conversations, and tools to help you in your own journey. The following are resources to help you feel good from the inside out.
Happy Not Perfect
#HappyNotPerfect is changing the way we look after our minds. They set out to help you have less stress, better sleep and a calmer mind. The app begins with a self check in, on how you are feeling. They state that research shows that once you label your emotion, you allow yourself to begin processing it. The app will walk you through belly breathing to relax, allow you to “set fire” to your worries, get your happy hormones flowing through gratitude, provide mindful distractions, among other exercises.
Happy Not Perfect states they can help make you happier, “Your levels of happiness and wellbeing are shaped by your unique set of brain circuits, and your brain circuits can be changed.” While they admit, you won’t become happy overnight, but it is possible with time and practice.
Studies have shown that the simple exercises recommended by HNP not only decrease stress and anxiety, and increase positive emotions and wellbeing, they also reshape brain activity and chemistry.
Learn more about how HNP can make you happier here.
#HalfTheStory
If you’re in need of an outlet to share your story or want to read and dive into transparent conversations happening online, look to #Halfthestory, a global community and nonprofit that encourages individuals to share parts of their lives that exist outside of the standard social media story. In honor of transparency, I am the editorial director of the non-profit and found myself incredibly moved and inspired by all of the stories that are shared with us. You can submit your story here. If you don’t feel like submitting a story, #Halfthestory also hosts IRL events.
Sad Girls Club
If you’re not one who is willing or jumping at the prospect of sharing your personal thoughts and posting a page straight out of your diary into the universe, make your way over to Sad Girls Club; an online platform and in real life community created to bring together girls who are battling mental illnesses. While they invite you to come hang IRL, you can peruse their blog for different articles focused on Wellness, Sad Moms Club, Love + Sex, Spirituality, and The Sad Girls. You can also look to their Instagram for daily pick me ups, reminders and inspiration.
It all began with a documentary, Conversations With Friends, created and released by Elyse Fox. In the description of the documentary, Fox shares, “It’s been a very long year, here’s a piece of my journey through depression.” In the piece, Fox outlines her journey with mental health, how she originally believed it was just something everyone was going through and her friends and acquaintances that was with and helped get her through this time. You can watch it here.
Advekit
If this month you realize you’ve been connecting to different communities online, but you’re ready to talk about and focus on your own mental health, you might want to try therapy. Advekit helps you discover the right therapist for you. They pride themselves on understanding that life is tough, and finding a therapist shouldn’t be! Finding a therapist can be a daunting process to navigate, and advekit makes it seamless. You don’t have to scroll through directories and hopefully find the right match for you sooner rather than later. While on the site, you will fill out a questionnaire so they can find the perfect pairing for you. They also vet each professional before matching them with you!
Talkspace
If you don’t have the time or resources to go to therapy IRL, there is an app for you to have an outlet, wherever you might be, to talk through your problems and walk through your mind muddle. Talkspace, created in hopes of providing therapy for all, is online therapy, or “e-therapy.”Therapists and online therapy networks use a number of platforms to connect, including texting, video chatting, voice messaging and audio messaging. Talkspace begins with an assessment, where you chat with a matching therapist to identify your therapy needs. Next, you are able to choose the right payment plan for you, which start at $49 a week. Thirdly, you’ll find your match and they’ll help you find the best therapist for you. Lastly and most importantly, you can begin therapy and start messaging with your therapist almost immediately.
Sanity and Self
If you’re also not sure what you want to talk about or might not feel like being the one doing the talking, another app that meets you where you are is Sanity & Self, promoting a new kind of “self care”. They’re an app created specifically to help you build lasting confidence, insight and peace of mind, through mediation sessions, self-help series and a variety of bedtime rituals, visualizations and music to help you sleep.
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Feature Image via Victoria Morris
