The Auburn YMCA-WEIU will encourage conversations about mental health throughout May, Mental Health Awareness Month, beginning with an event on Friday, May 6.
The YMCA invites individuals, organizations and businesses to Walk Out for Mental Health Appreciation at noon that day. The event will take place at the New York State Equal Rights Heritage Center, 25 South St., Auburn, where Cayuga County Director of Community Services Lauren Walsh will speak.
The YMCA will also hold a Community Wellness Night Wednesday, May 25. The YMCA is partnering with the Cayuga County Mental Health Task Force to hold the events.
“We can all play a role in supporting each other’s mental health — at the Y and in our communities,” said Laura Clary, the YMCA’s health and wellness director, in a news release.
“The first step is to start talking in our communities about what mental health really is.”
The YMCA encourages the community to have conversations this month about mental health, which is how we think, feel and act. It is part of our physical health, social-emotional well-being and identity. Everyone has mental health, the YMCA said, not just people with mental illness. Therefore, everyone faces challenges in their lives that can impact their mental health.
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To improve our mental health, the YMCA suggests steps like moving, fueling and resting our bodies; being mindful of how we feel and what’s happening around us; connecting with others; and asking for help when we need it. We can also support the mental health of others with empathy and compassion, such as asking, “How are you?” and encouraging honest answers.
For more information about the YMCA and Mental Health Awareness Month, contact Clary at laura@auburnymca.net or (315) 253-5304.
