Since 1949, Americans have been observing May as National Mental Health Awareness Month – a time to come together and share information, resources, and stories that encourage others to prioritize their mental health and emotional wellbeing. The theme for the 2023 Mental Health Awareness Month is “Look Around, Look Within.” This theme emphasizes the ways our surroundings can affect our mental health and overall wellbeing.  

To commemorate Mental Health Awareness Month, the Center for Health & Wellbeing is hosting workshops, programs, and classes over the course of the month to support your mental health needs. Learn more below and register to join us at one or all of our emotional wellbeing-themed Community Education Programs this May. 

CHWB Book Talks: Healthy Boundaries with Dr. Shaina Ali – Wednesday, May 10, from 7 PM – 8:30 PM: We invite you to join us for an in-depth conversation and Q&A with Dr. Ali, a mental health counselor, educator, and advocate who has been featured in outlets including ABC, NBC, Yahoo, Bustle, NPR, Washington Post, and Insider, on how you, too, can start designing healthy boundaries in your life.  

For $25, your general admission ticket includes a signed copy of “Designing Healthy Boundaries.” 

Stress Management Through Exercise – Thursday, May 18, from 11 AM – Noon: Our bodies were made to handle small doses of stress, but when it’s left unchecked, it can have significant effects on our overall health and wellbeing. In Stress Management through Exercise, Patrick Faulk, Center Director at the Crosby Wellness Center, will lead you through a deep dive into stress. You’ll explore the ways that it impacts our lives and overall health, and the keys to managing stress, with an emphasis on introducing exercise as a stress management technique. 

Art Sampler with Crealdé School of Art: Write On! – Thursday, May 18, from 11 AM – 12:30 PM: Have you ever said, “Someday I’ll write a story or a book?” Someday is today! Award-winning instructor Elaine Person will guide you toward achieving your writing goals. With the use of prompts such as paintings, photographs, quotations, items, and more, you will tap into your own creativity. This class is for you whether you write prose, poetry, lyrics, scripts, or other genres and is open to writers of all levels. 

This program has a $10 fee. 

Wow! Cultivating Awe and Wonder to Enhance Wellbeing – Monday, May 22, from 11 AM – Noon: During this program, you’ll learn about several fascinating discoveries surrounding the nature of awe, its effect on our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual wellbeing, and even how awe can improve our level of altruism. This workshop will discuss these findings while exploring ways of opening to and finding awesome and wonderful experiences in our everyday lives! 

The Museum of Happiness Experience – Monday, May 22, from 1 PM – 2:30 PM: The Museum of Happiness Experience is designed to do exactly what a museum does: educate and offer a new perspective! In this activity-filled workshop, you will learn about the common myths regarding happiness. Plus, discover what neuroscience is now recognizing about the brain’s ability to change.  

This Mental Health Awareness Month, indulge in self-care and treat yourself to one of our free, and open-to-the-public Community Education Programs that inspire you to create healthy habits. Learn more about our other Community Education Programs by visiting our website HERE. 

If you or someone you know is suffering with Mental Health, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text ‘MHA’ to 741741 for help.