By Sonia Khosla

Summer is here! It’s the time of year when the cicadas chirp, kids run free from school and the sun is in high gear. The changing of the seasons is a great opportunity to strengthen our physical, emotional and mental health.

Strengthening our mental health this summer could look like this:

Spending 20 minutes outside can help you feel better. According to a 2019 study from the Frontier is Psychology, spending 20 to 30 minutes in nature reduces levels of cortisol, your body’s main stress hormone. Take a walk, explore some of your local parks or get creative and find something you would normally do indoors and take it outside like playing chess or reading.

If the temperatures are too extreme in the daytime, try to do activities early in the morning or later in the evening when temperatures cool down.

Volunteering also is great for your mental health. It has been shown to decrease stress levels, decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety, and boost your overall health and satisfaction with life. You could:

• Volunteer to deliver meals for Home Delivered Meals (formerly known as Meals on Wheels). To volunteer to deliver meals, call the volunteer coordinator at 913-715-8895.
• Become a Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art volunteer! You can meet new people, learn and share your appreciation of creativity with others. Call Katherine Morse at 913-469-8500 ext. 4989 for more information.
• Get your hands dirty in the WIC garden every Tuesday morning from April through October. Gardening can increase your serotonin levels and lift your spirits! Contact gardencoordinator@jocogov.org for more information.
• Volunteer through Johnson County Park and Recreation Department. Call 913-826-3054 to speak to a volunteer coordinator for more information.

While getting outside, be aware that extreme weather, including heat waves, is becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change. Extreme heat has an impact on our mental health, including increases in irritability, symptoms of depression and suicide.

Check out jocogov.org/heat for more information on how to stay safe from extreme temperatures and to find cooling stations in Johnson County.

May marks Mental Health Awareness Month, an annual observance raising awareness, providing support and resources, and reducing the stigma around mental health. One thing we can take into the summer months from MHAM is normalizing conversations around mental health.

You can call the Johnson County Mental Health Center 24/7 at 913-268-0156. A few topics you might call us to talk about could be financial worries, grief, relationships, depression/anxiety or loneliness. We’re here for you.

Sonia Khosla is communications specialist for the Johnson County Mental Health Center.