As we emerge from a challenging year, it’s important that we find ways to stay connected to our community. May is Mental Health Awareness month, and several local organizations are offering resources to support the community.

For those seeking to learn more about mental health, here are a few places to start:

Peace River Center is a staple support in the Lakeland community for those struggling. This month, Peace River is honoring Mental Health Awareness by offering webinars, courses and events to educate the community. Check them out and register here.

Lakeland Regional Health reaches beyond its hospital walls to promote wellness, education and discovery in new ways, providing a wide range of inpatient and outpatient healthcare services at its Medical Center, Hollis Cancer Center and ambulatory care locations. It’s continuing to develop its Center for Behavioral Health & Wellness, and seeks to increase the availability of care for those struggling.

If taking time for yourself is tough for you, Rafa Natural offers organic + natural skin care products that invite us to slow down and show up for ourselves. Aromatherapy, bath bombs and skin serums abound.

Of course, mental healthcare isn’t all bubble baths and skincare. We’ve got to prioritize self-discipline to care for ourselves, too. Twenty Seven Creative offers an array of digital planners, mood trackers and journals to take note of everything going on around us.

Counseling centers like Porter’s Sound, Cue Counseling and New Directions remind us that we don’t have to go through things alone. Offering both virtual and in-person sessions, counseling centers are a great place to start shifting your mindset if mental wellness doesn’t always come naturally for you.

Mental Health Awareness Month exists to educate us about psychological wellness. Our community here in Lakeland is a supportive space for you to explore our own mental health – and cultivate community with others as we face these struggles together.