May 4^th-10^th is CMHA Mental Health Week. This year, the theme is ‘social connection’ and its importance for mental health. The campaign this year calls for us to #GetReal about how we really feel.

Did you know?

• Social connection protects and promotes good mental health.
• People with weak or few social connections are at increased risk for anxiety, depression, anti-social behaviour and suicidal behaviours.
• Lack of strong relationships affects the risk of mortality in a comparable way to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.
• Feeling socially connected means you feel close and connected to others, and you don’t have to be in physical proximity to nurture a sense of closeness and connection.
• Social connection can help us recover as a community. Socially connected communities simply respond better to crisis and disaster, and rebound better afterwards.

CMHA provides some practical advice, articles, and information to help you connect socially while physically distancing, including:

• 7 ways to #GetReal about how you feel
• Listening: how to make your social interactions real
• More than simply “fine”
• Social connection is the cure
• ‘Social distancing’ is a misnomer
• Your Social Distancing Survival Guide

This week we are all encouraged to have real conversations with friends, neighbours and coworkers about how we’re doing.