If you work in a helping role — supporting families, facilitating programs, showing up for others day after day — it’s easy to downplay your own stress. After all, you’re trained to hold space. But being the “calm one” doesn’t make you immune to burnout, anxiety, or emotional exhaustion.
Here are three ways to check in and support your own mental health this month:
- Acknowledge what you’re carrying. Write down everything you’re managing — emotionally, mentally, practically. Seeing it laid out can help validate how full your plate really is and remind you that your stress has a source.
- Connect to care. Reach out to a therapist, support line, or colleague. You don’t have to be in crisis to benefit from professional support — and it’s okay to ask for help even when you’re the one others usually turn to.
• Create a reset plan. Identify one person, one space, and one practice that help you regroup — before you’re in survival mode. It could be a 10-minute walk, a trusted coworker, or simply giving yourself permission to pause.
Mental Health Awareness Month is a reminder that the people doing the helping need help too. Caring for yourself is part of the work, and it makes your care for others more sustainable.
