September is National Suicide Prevention Month.  To help spread awareness, I have accepted a 30 Day Challenge from the team over at #5KHero – Run For Mental Health.  The challenge is to run, walk, or hike a 5K every day for 30 days to show support for mental health awareness and suicide prevention.

Day 1 of my 30-Day Run For Mental Health Challenge

In additon to continuing to shed light on mental health awareness, this challenge is also amazing in that it promotes physical activity.  For many people, getting out and being active is an incredibly powerful coping technique to help keep depression at bay.  I have been talking a lot recently on social media about the major benefits a fitness regimen has had for my own mental health.

• It keeps me active on a daily basis.
• It gets my blood flowing.
• Exercise has been shown to release dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins.
• It builds self-confidence as I continue to improve.
• It adds structure to my days.
• I eat healthier to improve my results.
• I drink way more water.

This list truly goes on and on, but this newfound commitment to my physical health has had exponential benefits on my mental health, and that is what makes this 30-Day Run For Mental Health Challenge so close to my heart, and again, with September being National Suicide Prevention Month, I cannot think of a better time to make some noise around this Challenge.

The whole team here at #icare would like to challenge everyone in this amazing community to take part in this challenge.  Whether you run, walk, hike, or a combination of all three, this truly is an amazing challenge that will help spread mental health awareness duriing National Suicide Prevention Month.  Let your friends and family know that you have accepted the challenge.  Challenge them to do the same.  Make it a social event, and something to look forward to by getting a group of friends and family to meet up and do the 5Ks together.  Post daily updates on social media and let the world know why the challenge is important to you.

Breaking the stigmas attached to mental health is a large task to tackle, but together we can all make a major difference by conitnuing to open up and talk about the importance of mental health.

If anyone needs any help getting started with this challenge or planning a fitness routine around it, please do not hesitate to reach out to me on Instagram.