May 10, 2026

Nurse Notes - May

Lisa Gort (Center) is the HPS School Mental Health Care Case Manager

For the last 77 years, May has been designated as Mental Health Awareness Month.  It was introduced by the organization Mental Health America, with the focus of increasing awareness, reducing stigma, and promoting wellness.

In this month's newsletter, you'll learn more about practices that can help improve our children’s mental health as well as our own.  

According to the Mental Health America website, there are a variety of things that we can do to improve and strengthen our mental health.  The following suggestions are ways to support our mental health:

  1. Spending time in nature, going for a walk, or hiking with family or friends while getting fresh air and exercise.
  2. A daily intake of fruits, vegetables, protein including beef, chicken and fish and avoiding processed/packaged foods. 
  3. Finding time to engage in a hobby.
  4. Aiming for at least 8 hours of sleep.  Shut off your devices at least an hour before bed.  Sleep is undervalued but highly effective in reducing mental health symptoms.
  5. Thinking about boundaries we need to set to live a more peaceful life.  These may be boundaries you set with your time, your activities, or people in your life.
  6. Recognize when you experience negative emotions such as anger, resentment, guilt and unforgiveness.  According to mental health experts these emotions, left unaddressed and unresolved, can lead to chronic stress, social isolation, poor relationships, substance abuse, anxiety, and depression.  Learn to make peace with ourselves and others.
  7. Lastly, do not be afraid to seek help from others if you or your child is struggling with mental health.  By getting professional help people can access the resources they need, learn new ways to successfully cope when life brings us trials and improve the quality of our lives.

Mental health issues are just as common as physical health issues.  We usually do not have any issues calling our doctor to address a physical issue, so why should calling a mental health professional be any different?  Let us break that stigma and support ourselves and others in getting the best care.  We all matter!

Finally, if you have concerns about your child, reach out to your school and ask to speak with someone about those concerns.  

For additional information and resources, please visit our HPS webpage.