Month: May 2022

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3 Tips For Improving Your Mental Health

Tips To Improve Your Mental Health
mental health awareness month

3 Tips For Improving Your Mental Health

OK, so here we are in Mental Health Awareness Month, brought to us since 1949 by Mental Health America. All well and good, but what with getting back into the office after 2+ years of pandemic-related isolation, and inflation, and whatever else is getting on our nerves today, there’s just no time for taking a mental health break.

That’s the problem — the stresses and strains of today are exactly the right time to be focusing on mental health. How we feel affects every decision we make. If our stress is so high we yell at the person in front of us in traffic for not moving as fast as we’d like, or find ourselves arguing with a nature documentary, it’s time to reprioritize mental health.

Mental Health Tips From Social Link
Additional Mental Health Tips on our Instagram. @sociallinkco

Here are three fast ways to start looking at our psycho-emotional state and get back into alignment:

Kick The (Bad) Habits: Garbage in, garbage out. If all you’re eating is fast, overly processed food (“I’m so busy!!”), rethink the plate. More fruit, more vegetables, less salt, less sugar. This doesn’t mean you have to go on the latest “I Lost 10 Pounds In An Hour!!” post-COVID fad diet, just that it’s time to pay more attention to what you’re eating.

I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead: Heard this one? It’ll be a self-fulfilling prophecy if you’re only getting a few hours of sleep a night. The occasional all-nighter for a huge deadline is one thing, but if you’re routinely burning the midnight oil, your health will suffer.

See Something? Do Something: An estimated 44 million Americans suffer from some kind of mental disorder. That means if you’re feeling out of sorts, whether that’s a lethargy you can’t kick or being angry at everything, you’re not the only one. According to Mental Health America, some of the signs that may point to trouble include: confused thinking, prolonged sadness or irritability, feelings of extreme highs or lows, excessive anxiety and social withdrawal.

If you think you may need help, err on the side of caution and reach out. Your employer may have an EAP program, or your health insurer can put you in touch with a therapist in your community. If those options aren’t available, Mental Health America strongly recommends calling call 911 or going to the nearest emergency room if you are in crisis or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach a 24-hour crisis center, or text MHA to 741741 at the Crisis Text Line.

Follow along with Social Link for more tips!

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Mental Health Awareness Month 2022 Goes “Back To Basics”

Mental Health Awareness Month
Mental Health Awareness Month 2022

Mental Health Awareness Month 2022 Goes “Back To Basics”

Ever take a “mental health day” when the work stress got to be too much? No one is immune to life’s pressures, which is why Mental Health Awareness Month is a timely reminder that it’s OK to slow down and check in with yourself.

The annual observation, sponsored by Mental Health America, has been around since 1949, so the notion of protecting our mental health is not new. This year, the theme is “Back To Basics,” a timely reminder that having a strong foundation of awareness around mental health can help prevent problems from becoming too severe.  

Many other groups, such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI, get the word out during the month of May as well. This year is no different, with NAMI nothing that “After the last two years of pandemic living, many people are realizing that stress, isolation, and uncertainty have taken a toll on their well-being.” Our goal is to provide foundational knowledge about mental health & mental health conditions and information about what people can do if their mental health is a cause for concern.

A mental health issue should never be stigmatized

Millions of Americans live with mental illness. Unfortunately, they often are singled out because of that diagnosis, and treated differently. That kind of reaction is why many people never seek out therapy or other kinds of care in the first place. During May, it’s essential to educate ourselves, as well as those around us, on what mental health is really all about — and to advocate for policies that support those living with mental illness, their families and caregivers.

With that in mind, here are a few terms to be aware of, compliments of Mental Health America.

Coping skill: a strategy to help you deal with difficult situations and lessen unpleasant emotions, thoughts, or behaviors

Lived experience: first-hand, personal experience dealing with a mental health or substance use challenge

Mental health concern: anything that causes a person to believe their mental health may be suffering; could be a symptom, a group of symptoms, or a diagnosable mental health condition

Mental health condition: a set of related symptoms that have been recognized by the mental health community; includes conditions defined in the DSM-V, ICD-11, and by people with lived experience 

Neurotransmitters: chemicals that carry messages throughout your brain

Self-stigma: negative attitudes and shame regarding an individual’s own mental health, resulting from internalizing public stigma.

The more we know about mental health, the more we can be 1) aware of our own status and risk factors, and 2) the more supportive we can be to friends and family who have a diagnosis or are in a rough spot and need assistance. 

Taking care of our bodies through diet and exercise is essential for physical health. Too often we don’t pay the same kind of heed to our minds, which are working overtime every day to make decisions, interact with others, handle stress and much more. The aforementioned diet and exercise, along with enough sleep, seeking professional care when feeling overwhelmed and taking some down time (the elusive work-life balance) is vital for good mental health.

Why not make this month the time to put some new, good habits into place?

Follow along with Social Link for more tips!

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What is a social media influencer?

Leverage social media influencers for specific, effective target marketing

Ever feel like some people on social media are inescapable? Always in your feed? And … do you read what they post, and sometimes go take a look at a place, or product, they’re talking about? Bingo. You’ve been influenced.

Social media influencers do just that — they leverage a massive online presence to nudge their viewers toward something they’ve been paid to promote. It could be yogurt, a Scottish resort, a shoe line … you get the idea. Connecting with these people can be a terrific addition to the work your digital marketing agency is doing to put business in front of an audience you’re after — provided you do it the right way. 

Influencer
influencer social media grid

Here are a few tips:

Tap the right ambassador. Are you trying to reach college students? Women in their 20s? Men in their 40s? You know that advertising campaigns are built around having the right look, tone and message for your target group. The right social media influencer is key as well, because the wrong one will not only get fewer interactions, you’ll turn off your target group because they’ll think you are tone deaf to their interests.

Build the right campaign. There’s more to it than paying someone to throw your name out in a few Instagram or Twitter posts. It’s smart to think of that activity as a gateway to engagement, but only if you’ve got something behind the gate. A landing page, video tour, promotional pricing … there are lots of ways to go, the goal being to create an experiential destination for that prospect.

Do the right research. Know the “who” behind the “what” when it comes to this kind of digital marketing campaign. A good digital marketing agency will work with you to create personas for your products and services. Sure, you know who your audience is, but they’ll know who your audience should be — and often the two aren’t exactly aligned. Knowing who you’re speaking to will make sure any influencer-based marketing is spot on and gets the clicks, views and engagement you’re paying for.

It comes down to this: social media influencers tell a story. Some of them have millions of followers. They’re just one of the many tools and techniques Social Link uses to craft a brand profile that gives them a terrific story to share with their audience. Let’s explore how to elevate your message and get it ready for that kind of amplification.

Contact us today to learn more.