By Christine Leccese, MPH
(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Shejal Pulivarti, 1st BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs)
Summer is a great time to commit to healthy living. You get a 4-month jump on a New Year’s resolution, the weather is warm, and your thoughts are about vacation, getting outside, and socializing. Throughout the month of August, join Military Pathways to commit to 31 days of healthy living. A healthy body needs a healthy mind and vice versa, so commit to making changes in one area to improve both.
An important first step is to take a mental health self-assessment to see if you have symptoms that would benefit from professional help. The assessments are free and anonymous and available to service members, veterans, and their families at www.MilitaryMentalHealth.org.
Week 1: Lifestyle Changes
There are lots of lifestyle changes you can make to improve your health. If your first thought about this is “I’ll start going to the gym,” think again. Sure, exercise is important, but there are other changes you can make that will improve your health, too. You can take steps to reduce stress, practice deep breathing, or increase your socializing time. All these changes will improve your mental and physical health.
Week 2: Summer Activities
Gardening, hiking, and whatever else makes summer special for you can also be very healthy steps. Lots of service members and veterans have found that the peace they find on a fishing boat, hiking trail, or in the garden, help them escape from feelings of PTSD. Summer is a great time to seize the day, as well as an opportunity to get yourself started on some good outdoor activities in the fall.
Week 3: Positive Thinking
There is a lot of talk about being positive and optimistic. People seem to want to divide the world up into those who see the glass half full and those who see it as half empty. What if it’s not that simple? What if you really could make yourself, if not a half full person, someone who can appreciate the good in your life and use it to improve your mood and health?
Look no further than your mobile phone or other device. You can download apps that help you to do everything from remembering what makes you grateful, activating personalized messages, or tracking your mood. One mobile application, Virtual Hope Box, provides help with emotional regulation and coping with stress via personalized supportive audio, video, pictures, games, mindfulness exercises, positive messages and activity planning, inspirational quotes, coping statements, and other tools.
Week 4: Seeking Help
While there are lots of different lifestyle changes we can all make, there are certain situations in which someone needs professional help. Whether that help is in the form of talk therapy, trauma therapy, medication or something else, it is vitally important for people who need it.
There are several options for PTSD treatments, as well as depression, anxiety, alcohol use disorders and more. Take a self-assessment at www.MilitaryMentalHealth.org to find geographic and branch-specific referrals and to see different tips on coping with common mental health conditions.
Christine Leccese is the communications and marketing manager at Military Pathways.
