Happy May everyone. May finds us again in National Mental Health Month. Here are some highlights that I have discovered to spur on some big or small observances of this very important state of being.

Mental Health America has, as usual, loads of information for someone who may be in a stuck place, where to seek help, quizzes to gauge severity or presence of things like depression or anxiety.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) also has a very valuable website full of resources and information for the public as well as professionals.

Regular readers will recognize the next link. PBS’s “This Emotional Life” has created a unique and useful resource full of information regarding tough topics like PTSD, autism, adolescence and parenting to name a few. MFT3 is proud to be listed among the providers in the Resources section of the site.

But on a lighter note, I have discovered some atypical mental health related days or remembrances for the month of May.

For some fun yet obvious ideas, there is Hug week (May 2-8), Meditation week (May 2-8), Teen self-esteem week is also the same week. May 16-22 is Celebrate New and Old Friends week.

There is a theme of literacy in May, it is “Get Caught Reading” month as well as Read for Fun week (May 9-15) and Childrens’ Book week (May 10-16). You could read about mental health.

I found a bunch of food related themes, too. It is National Barbecue month, as well as designating specific days dedicated to celebrating hamburgers, salad, salsa, eggs, sweet vidalia onions and bread pudding recipe exchange week. Yum. To this we can add in May 6 as No Diet Day and May 11 as Eat What You Want day, followed closely by the fun-filled May 15: The Day of Families, Pizza parties and Chocolate Chips. I sense a theme here…

Oooh, speaking of chocolate chips, that leads me to my favorite day so far: May 25, Cookie Monster’s Birthday (voice Frank Oz).

Cookie Monster should also make an appearance on May 5 for the Great American Grump Out day festivities, to help out Oscar the Grouch a bit?

And to end the month on a full yet thoughtful note, May 31 reminds us that “What You Think Upon Grows” day. I use this philosophy often with clients; that if our thoughts are centered on what’s missing, then what’s missing, by definition, will have to expand.

I wish you all a month of good mental health, however you choose to create it!