May: A Month for Mental Health and Mindful Renewal

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By Nina Davey, LCPC, ATR-BC, PMH-C, ACS

As the world blooms around us in May, there is a quiet invitation to turn inward and tend to our own inner landscapes. May is Mental Health Awareness Month — a time to pause, reflect, and nurture the parts of ourselves that may have been overlooked during the long winter months.

Why Mental Health Awareness Matters

Mental health is something we all have, just like physical health. Yet too often, it's sidelined — seen only as something to talk about when things feel broken. But mental wellness isn't about being perfect or problem-free; it’s about cultivating awareness, resilience, and compassion toward ourselves and others.

Whether you're navigating anxiety, managing burnout, healing from trauma, or simply feeling emotionally stuck, know this: you're not alone, and your experience is valid.

Spring as a Metaphor for Healing

Spring offers a beautiful metaphor for therapy and emotional growth. The process is rarely instant. Seeds take time to break open. Roots grow in silence before shoots push through the soil. Similarly, healing happens gradually, slow and steady. Sometimes it can feel like nothing is changing — until suddenly, we notice the change.

Let this season be a gentle reminder to give yourself permission to grow slowly. Give yourself permission to rest, permission to ask for support where it’s needed.

Small Steps You Can Take This May

  • Daily Check-Ins. Ask yourself: How am I really doing? A simple 2-minute self-reflection can create enough space for emotional awareness.

  • Reach out. Talk to a therapist, a friend, or someone you trust. Connection is a powerful antidote to isolation.

  • Create a moment of stillness. Whether it’s a walk, meditation, or sipping tea without your phone, give your nervous system a chance to settle.

  • Name your needs. Honoring what you need — rest, boundaries, joy — is a form of emotional self-care.

A Gentle Invitation

This month, let’s honor our emotional lives the way we honor the beauty of spring — with curiosity, softness, and respect. Healing isn’t linear, and that’s okay. What matters is showing up for ourselves and taking one step at a time.

You don’t have to bloom all at once. You just have to begin.