What mental health
means in today’s world
Each of us is uniquely deserving of support. Below, you’ll find different perspectives on how mental health care is essential to coping with a wide range of situations.
Mental health and you: trending Topics
MAKING MENTAL HEALTH CARE A PART OF DAILY LIFE
See how four everyday people find time to incorporate it into their routines.
Mental health and you: Some fresh takes
"Is mental health support for ‘someone like me’?" Yes, yes, and yes. These articles will show you why.
SIGNS THAT A CHILD MAY NEED MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT
What to look for by age and how to find care.
Tips for older adults seeking mental health help
As more older adults report anxiety or depression during the pandemic, a clinician explains when and how to get help.
A Digital tool makes mental health help more convenient
Learn to Live®´´ provides online, self-guided programs to help manage stress, anxiety, uncertainty, worry, or depression.
How to recognize signs of substance use Disorder
Amid rising rates of relapse and overdose, clinicians offer tips for loved ones.
Get help for seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
A clinician offers simple tips that can help, as the pandemic's toll creates greater risk of SAD this winter.
Should you get a postpartum screening?
It’s more than just "baby blues." There’s an entire spectrum of postpartum conditions that can affect mental health for new moms.
Your Mental Health: Hear From Our Experts
90-Second Breathing Exercise
NICOLE:
Hi, I'm Nicole, wellness program manager at Blue Cross, and I'm going to lead you through some counted breathing. We're going to make our exhales a little bit longer than our inhales, which helps calm down our nervous system. So find a comfortable seat, root down through your feet, relax your shoulders, close or soften your eyes, and take one breath in and one breath out. And now, follow along. Inhale, two, three, four. Hold, two, three, four. Exhale, two, three, four, five, six. Hold, two. Inhale, two, three, four. Hold, two, three, four. Exhale, two, three, four, five, six. One more. Inhale, two, three, four. Hold, two, three, four. Exhale, two, three, four, five, six. And release, coming back to your normal breath. Notice your stillness for a moment. And we'll end with one cleansing breath together, deep inhale through your nose. Open your mouth, let it go. Thanks for joining me for this breathing exercise.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
NICOLE:
Hi, I'm Nicole, wellness program manager at Blue Cross, and I'm going to lead you through a quick progressive muscle relaxation. So this technique can be used to relax your body at any time throughout the day, but it's also a great tool to use before bed to prepare yourself for sleep. And the way it works is that you'll clench or flex one muscle group as you inhale, hold it for a count of four, and then relax it as we exhale.
So I'll lead you through each step, and we're going to start with our fists. So squeeze your hands into a fist and hold as you inhale for four, three, two, one, exhale, release. Next your shoulders. Inhale as you shrug them up toward your ears. Squeeze and hold for four, three, two, one, release and relax. Next your stomach. Suck your stomach into a knot and hold for four, three, two, one. Release. Walk your thighs together, squeeze them and hold for four, three, two, one, release.
And lastly your feet and your legs. Flex your toes back up toward your face and hold for four, three, two, one, release. And then find stillness. Notice if your body is relaxed. Think about what you can soften. We're going to end with one cleansing breath together. Take an inhale through your nose, open your mouth, let it go. Thanks for joining me for this progressive muscle relaxation.