May is Mental Health Month, with a theme of “Live Your Life Well” – a national public education campaign dedicated to helping people better cope with stress and enhancing their well-being. Part of this campaign is the Live Your Life Well website that offers 10 research-based tools and ways to apply them in everyday life. From relaxation techniques to journaling exercises to simple ways to get better sleep and improve eating habits, the materials offer a wide range of resources to build resiliency and well-being – some good resources for your wellness programs. These resources are all made available by Mental Health America, formerly known as the National Mental Health Association.
May 2-8 is North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week 2010, sponsored by the American Society of Safety Engineers. Mission 2010 is safe workplaces, the importance of which has been tragically highlighted this year with the loss of 29 workers in the West Virginia Massey mine disaster, 7 workers Tesoro refinery explosion in Washington, 6 workers killed at the Kleen Energy Plant in Connecticut, and 11 workers missing and presumed dead from Transocean’s oil rig explosion off the coast of Louisiana. Learn more about NAOSH Week and activities to support safety in the workplace, in schools, and in the community.
Other Health & Wellness observances in May
- American Stroke Month 2010 – Resources from the American Heart Association.
- Arthritis Awareness Month – resources from the Arthritis Foundation
- Better Hearing and Speech Month – resources from the Speech-Language Association.
- Bike Month – resources from The League of American Bicyclists
- Celiac Awareness Month – resources from the American Celiac Disease Alliance
- Clean Air Month – The American Lung Association offers “State of the Air,” a report card on air pollution in communities across the nation.
- Healthy Vision Month – Resources from the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Health and Human Services
- Lupus Awareness Month – resources from the Lupus Foundation of America. This year’s theme is “Band Together for Lupus”
- Melanoma / Skin Cancer Prevention Month – information from Medicine.net. Also, from the American Academy of Dermatology: Find a free skin cancer screening near you
- National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month – resources from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
- National Hepatitis Awareness Month – resources from the Hepatitis B Foundation
- National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month – resources from the National Osteoporosis Foundation. This year’s theme is “healthy Bones, Build Them for Life.”
- May 31 – World No Tobacco Day – the 2010 Theme: Gender and tobacco with an emphasis on marketing to women.