It’s LGBTQ health week! To celebrate this week, we want to talk about everything that goes into your health: from the mental to the physical to the emotional. This approach to integrated health and wellness are important for our overall holistic health.&nbsp;In this article, we are going to share some tips to help maintain good health, particularly for the LGBTQIA+ community. Living in a society that is not completely accepting can create a ton of emotional strain, which in return can impact your health on many levels. We want to ensure everyone is practicing integrative health and wellness. So, let’s get started!<h2>The Mental Wellness Checklist</h2>Sometimes, it is super easy to get lost in the daily routine and completely lose track of how we are really feeling. Without something to ground you, it quickly becomes hard to get back to a place where you feel tuned in to your mental health. Checking in is a simple but powerful way to get back in touch with yourself. So we made you a list of a few questions you can ask yourself to stay on top of your mental health:<ul><li>How am I feeling about my day today?</li><li>What am I looking forward to today?</li><li>Am I feeling worried about anything?</li><li>Who am I going to connect with today?</li></ul>Answering these questions every day will allow you to gauge what is exciting or not so exciting in your life. It will also help you connect with how you feel about the future, and what you expect your day to be like. Taking stock of these things on a regular basis and noticing trends and patterns will help you determine if you need additional mental health support.&nbsp;If you do find yourself needing additional mental health support, here are a few ways you can find it:<ul><li>Therapy: Therapy works really well, especially when you connect with your therapist. You can use <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.mhanational.org/finding-therapy">Mental Health America’s Find a Therapist</a> page that allows you to search for LGBTQ therapists. You can also go to our <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://blog.peers.net/resource-links/">resource links</a> page for more information on how to find a therapist. </li><li>Peer Support: Professional Peer Support connects you with someone your age and background that has similar experiences. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://peers.net/peer-supporters">Certified peer supporters</a> are trained on how to best share emotional support and coping mechanisms. There are tons of other LGBTQ people who have recovered from mental health struggles and want to connect with you and can introduce you to integrative health &amp; wellness. You can read more about peer support <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://peers.net/">here!&nbsp;</a></li></ul><h2>The Physical Wellness List</h2>Our mental health is so closely tied to our physical health that we can’t talk about one without acknowledging the other. This is exactly the point of integrated health and integrated wellness! Physical health doesn’t mean that you need to run 10 miles, but it does mean you are taking small steps to ensure you are staying on top of your overall health. We make you a checklist to make sure you are maintaining your physical health<ul><li>I brushed my teeth</li><li>I drank 3 glasses of water</li><li>I spent some time outside</li><li>I moved my body for 20 minutes</li><li>I ate regular meals</li><li>I limited my social media and screen time as much as possible</li></ul>Some of these things seem small, but they have a huge impact on our overall health. Often, you will find some of the things mentioned above in tandem with mental health. That is why taking stock of our mental and physical health daily is essential: they are a package deal!Make sure you are practicing compassion when it comes to your physical health. Exercise is so important, but there are many different types of intensity, amount, and type. If you find something that feels right for your body, keep going! Comparison between yourself and what others can do is not helpful and can actually be bad for your integrated wellness and mental health.<h2>The Emotional Wellness List</h2>Maintaining your emotional health is key, especially as an LGBTQ person. The LGBTQ community has faced and continues to face challenges that are so draining. And, with so many upsetting things happening life can feel so overwhelming.&nbsp;Emotional wellness is an additional component to our overall integrative health and wellness.Although there may be similarities in mental health vs emotional health, taking care of your emotional health means nurturing who you are at your core. Leaning into your hobbies, hanging out with the people you love, and getting involved with your favorite activities are just a few examples of how taking care of your emotional health can make you feel supported, comforted, and more like yourself.&nbsp;Here are a few things you can do to make sure you are protecting your emotional health<ul><li>I spent time a friend or loved one</li><li>I took breaks from work or school to do a hobby I love</li><li>I tried something new</li><li>I wrote a list of things I am grateful for</li><li>I did a mindfulness practice</li></ul>This list is not for everyday, but every few weeks it’s good to take notice of what you have done to make yourself happy and fulfilled. Taking care of your emotional health makes your is integral to health and wellness complete because you are nurturing what makes you you!<h2>The Bottom Line</h2>Sometimes, it feels impossible to do these things. Moving your body is hard when you really don’t want to, and some days getting out of bed seems impossible. But doing the small things- like brushing your teeth and drinking water- is an amazing first step towards feeling mentally, physically, and emotionally healthy. When the world seems heavy, especially for LGBTQ people, taking care of yourself is key.This is why integrated wellness and mental health is important. By taking stock of our mental, physical, and emotional health, we can understand when to integrate wellness into our routine. This integrative approach to wellness is key to finding balance! &nbsp;

Hannah Johns

Integrated Health, Wellness, and LGBTQIA+ Health Week!

PacificSource Health Plans

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