May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and it may be time for a mental health check-in. Here are four questions the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends using to start a conversation about mental health.
 How are you feeling?
This question is a good place to start, despite its obvious nature. For families and friends that are comfortable with discussing mental health issues, this is a great way to get to the point and promote having open, honest conversations about emotional well-being. It may not work for everyone, though, so take a different approach if needed.
 How’s it going for you these days?
This one is more specific, and it does a good job of drawing attention to the present. Asking this may initially spark a discussion about events, and asking about or commenting on the person’s emotions during certain events may lead to a deeper discussion involving their mental health.
 How are you keeping in touch with family or friends?
Choosing to stay connected to loved ones is typically an indicator of good mental health, so this can be a good way to indirectly ask how someone is doing. Make sure to respond when loved ones reach out, and try to spend time with friends and family as often as possible to maintain your social well-being.
 What are you doing to take care of yourself?
Self-care is an essential part of boosting mental health, so this is another good way to indirectly ask someone how they are doing. If someone asks for self-care ideas, recommend prioritizing sleep, choosing relaxing hobbies, getting some exercise and other ways they can rest and recuperate.
 Listening carefully to the responses you receive is a critical step in helping loved ones maintain their mental health. Answering these questions as honestly as you can about yourself may also reveal areas of your mental health you need to focus on . The CDC has more information and resources for having constructive, meaningful mental health conversations at cdc.gov/howrightnow/talk.
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Since 1994, QualChoice has provided the best value in health benefits for Arkansas businesses. They’re committed to transforming the health of their community one person at a time and strive to make health insurance simple with an approach based on the core belief that quality healthcare is best delivered locally.
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