May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Today's "You Matter" reminders are courtesy of the Minnesota Department of Health.

Reaching Out Matters: Seek Help When You Need It

When your mental health is off, it is important to find thehelp that is right for you. Where you go for help will depend on what is happening within your life. Often the best place to start is to talk with those that you already have connections with, including your friends and family, your primary care doctor, or spiritual advisor.

Help can be found across many places and depends on whattype of support that you may need. It can start with participating in some self-care, or engage with friends, family, or someone else to talk to help you process, find a distraction or problem solve. If the problems in your life are stopping you from functioning well or feeling good, professional help can make a big difference. Even if you're not sure that you'd benefit from help, it can't hurt to explore the possibility.

Engaging in formal services can help you:

• Develop plans for solving problems
• Feel stronger in the face of challenges
• Change behaviors that hold you back
• Look at ways of thinking that affect how you feel
• Heal pains from your past
• Think about your goals
• Build self-confidence