Four Tips to Transform Mental Health Awareness in Wisconsin

How one state-based organization is fostering open conversations along with offering tips around World Mental Health Day and everyday

It started as a few people gathering around the kitchen table of a Madison family’s home in the late 1970s. The small group is now a powerful movement in the effort to transform mental health awareness. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has expanded across the country. But Wisconsin’s chapter leader, Jeanne McLellan, knows how difficult it can still be to break the silence surrounding mental health. 

“It’s taken decades for many people to feel comfortable even talking about mental health,” she shares. “One of the most important things we can do is ask people if they’re okay and listen if they choose to talk.” 

World Mental Health Day is Thursday, October 10, 2024. It may be a reason to start a conversation. Learn more here.

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Here are four simple tips to check in on yourself and maintain your mental health:

1. Get Outside and Exercise
Regular exercise is proven to be good for your mind and body. And often just being outside is a great way to reset your thoughts. Take a walk when the weather is nice. Challenge yourself in the winter with a new sport like showshoeing.  

2. Stay Connected
Maintaining your social relationships is important. Make plans to meet up in person or stay in touch by phone or email. And if you’re struggling, reach out to the trusted people in your network and let them know how you are feeling.

3. Eat Well, Sleep Well
A diet heavy on refined sugars and processed foods has been found to negatively affect mood. Enjoy nutritious meals and a regular sleep schedule for the health of your mind and body. This includes turning off screens at least an hour before bedtime.

4. Be Mindful
Meditation is shown to improve your mood. There are online apps and other tools to schedule time to meditate. You can also try yoga and stretching, or journaling.

If you or your loved one needs additional help in managing mental health, connect with a professional. You can also call 988, anytime. The crisis hotline is free and answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

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In schools and with young people, NAMI is working to provide the language needed to discuss mental health openly and safely. By encouraging kids to express themselves without fear of stigma, the hope is to create a generation that views mental health as integral to overall well-being.

“It’s okay to say, ‘I’m feeling anxious today,'” McLellan explains. “We teach kids that expressing their feelings to a teacher or a friend isn’t just okay—it’s healthy.”

McLellan is also passionate about ensuring these conversations extend to all levels of society. This means including changes in policy. 

“Discrimination and stigma often go hand-in-hand,” she says. “But by normalizing discussions around mental health, we can start breaking down those barriers.” 

Another goal makes mental health care as routine as physical health care. 

“We still have a long way to go,” McLellan says. “But every conversation, every policy change, every step forward helps improve the lives of those affected by mental illness.”

It’s also building off the early mission created around a kitchen table all those years ago.

LISTEN to this interview and so much more! First airing as part of our most recent NEWisco Weekend show with a focus on mental health: