Mental health and mental wellness are important parts of life.

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It's been said, we go to the doctor when we are sick, the eye doctor when we can't see, etc.  So why is our mental health so taboo? Our mental wellness is just as important as our heart beating or our lungs breathing.

Mental health and wellness are becoming more and more acceptable these days, but some people still hold onto the thought that seeking help for mental health makes you crazy and that is the farthest from the truth.

Look at it this way, you can talk to a family member or friends, and they will always be biased and try to help "fix" you.  When you go to a therapist, for one, they are a professional, and two, they are unbiased.  They will listen to you and help you work on the issues that keep you from being your best and offer legitimate suggestions on how to get you back to your best.

Let's face it holding everything inside never works out for anybody because in the end, you are going to explode one way or another.

That's why this new study concerns me.  Lawnstarter did a recent study on 190 cities across the country and mental wellness.  They used 33 different factors to determine the best and worst cities for mental wellness.  The metrics they used were mental, physical, social, financial, and environmental factors. These include factors like access to therapists, cost of living, average sleep levels, meditation classes, and urban gardening-friendliness.

Mental wellness statistics can be found here.

Amarillo's ranking was 166 out of 190.  That's not good.

  • Mental Wellness and Access Score 180
  • Physical Wellness Score 172
  • Mindfulness and Socal Wellness Score 137
  • Financial Wellness Score 107
  • Environment Wellness Score 55

What are the best ways to change your mental wellness?

Find a therapist.  Therapy is one of the best things you can do for yourself.  It's the ultimate self-care.

Get out and get moving, exercise releases certain chemicals and helps your mood.

Sleep, if you are not sleeping well your body doesn't have time to heal itself and it can affect your mental wellness.

What were the top city and worst city for mental wellness?

The Best: Naperville, IL

The Worst: Detroit, MI

Poor Detroit seems to come in last in all these studies.

Amarillo let's prove them wrong and let's stop the stigma behind mental wellness.  Taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health.

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