Blog

By: Emily Walden, PhD

Children’s mental health awareness weeks were initiated by parents, healthcare providers, and other supporters, beginning in the 1990s, to increase understanding of the specific mental health needs of youth. In 2004, the National Federation of Families established Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week, and about a year later, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) declared National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day. Though “Awareness” is still used by many, some have begun calling this an “Acceptance Day,” to decrease stigma for mental illness, or an “Action Day,” as a call for more direct and efficient steps to immediately reduce suffering and increase positive support for children. In 2026, this day falls on Thursday, May 7th.

Toolkits to support parents/caregivers, therapists, schools, and other individuals and agencies who provide services to children are available from multiple national organizations, including SAMHSA and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN). Local resources for this day are provided by the Oregon Family Support Network (OFSN), which is hosting events for families and a resource fair in Salem on May 9th and Eugene on May 16th; the Tillamook County Suicide Prevention Coalition, which is helping children and teens make self-care kits on May 7th; and Albertina Kerr, which is hosting a talk about neurodiversity and mental health needs for children and teens in Portland on May 26th.

Awareness includes understanding:

1. The prevalence of mental health needs in youth. For example, a recent study by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) of 6th-, 8th-, and 11th-graders found that, in the past year, 12% reported self-harming, 12% reported considering suicide, and 3.3% reported having attempted suicide. Oregon has higher rates of anxiety and depression in children at 18% of the population compared to the national average of 13%.

1. That children from marginalized groups experience additional difficulties in accessing care and factors that contribute to mental health concerns, including racial bias/discrimination and discrimination for LGBTQ+ youth.

Acceptance could mean:

1. Supporting universal care for children and teens and easily accessible resources. Parents/caregivers and schools can access and use resources for all children, including from the The Kids Mental Health Foundation. Mental health can be part of the daily discussion.

1. Reducing stigma around mental health. Children and teens may be concerned how they will be perceived or how “different” they might seem to peers, and they often worry mental health professionals will misunderstand them, which depending on certain intersectional identities, can be even more detrimental for some children and teens.

Action may look like:

1. Reducing or mitigating factors that contribute to mental health struggles, such as rates of abuse/neglect (e.g., 8,242 founded child maltreatment reports alone in Oregon in 2024), risks from low socio-economic status (e.g., neurobiological and cardiovascular changes in childhood), and stressful circumstances for children who have immigrated or are refugees in the U.S., among others.

1. Increasing care options across all levels of support. Despite the many IOP, psychiatric hospitalization options, and therapeutic programs outlined for youth in OHSU’s most recent service report for youth, there remains a significant deficit.

Resiliency occurs despite the vulnerability of children’s mental health, and the role of advocacy in this field must occur constantly, but a day dedicated to children’s mental health is a necessary step to support awareness, acceptance, and action.

“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” — Vincent van Gogh

It’s easy to fall into all-or-nothing thinking when it comes to mental health: 

I need to fix everything. I should feel better by now. If I can’t do it perfectly, why try at all? 

This mindset can backfire. Research in psychology consistently shows that sustainable change tends to come from small, repeatable actions—not dramatic overhauls. Aiming to feel “10% better” can be more realistic, more compassionate, and ultimately more effective than chasing a total transformation.

Below are practical, evidence-informed strategies that can help nudge your mental health in a positive direction. None are magic fixes—but each can make a meaningful difference.

• Move your body—gently counts
  You don’t need an intense workout. Walking, stretching, or light activity has been linked to reductions in symptoms of depression and anxiety. Consistency matters more than intensity.
• Get 10–20 minutes of daylight early in the day
  Exposure to natural light, especially in the morning, helps regulate circadian rhythms and can improve mood and sleep quality. Even on cloudy, PNW days, outdoor light is significantly brighter than indoor lighting.
• Name what you’re feeling
  Putting emotions into words (“I feel overwhelmed” vs. “I feel bad”) activates language areas of the brain involved in regulation. This simple practice—sometimes called “affect labeling”—can reduce emotional intensity.
• Limit information overload
  Constant exposure to news and social media can increase stress and anxiety. So ask yourself: does my media consumption make me more empowered, or less? It’s okay to not track every headline or to take a news vacation.
• Reach out—even briefly
  Short, low-pressure social interactions (a text, a quick call, a shared moment) can meaningfully boost mood. Social connection, even brief, is one of the most robust protective factors in mental health research.
• Use your senses to ground yourself
  Simple grounding exercises—like noticing five things you can see or focusing on sounds in the room—can reduce acute stress and bring attention back to the present moment.
• Track small wins
  Our brains are biased toward noticing what’s wrong. Instead, think about one or two things that went okay today. Explore a “done” list, rather than a “to-do list,” some “accomplished” journaling, rather than “goal” journaling. Odds are, you’ve done more this week than you realize.

A final note
Improvement doesn’t have to be dramatic to matter. If something helps you feel even 10% better—and it’s safe, sustainable, and accessible—that’s meaningful progress. Over time, small changes can accumulate into something much larger.

If you’re struggling and these strategies feel like far from enough, reaching out for professional support is an important next step. You don’t have to figure it out alone.

Bibliography / Further reading

Creswell, J. D. (2017). Mindfulness interventions. Annual Review of Psychology.

Dimidjian, S., Hollon, S. D., Dobson, K. S., et al. (2006). Randomized trial of behavioral activation, cognitive therapy, and antidepressant medication in the acute treatment of adults with major depression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Gao, J., Zheng, P., Jia, Y., et al. (2020). Mental health problems and social media exposure during COVID-19 outbreak. PLOS ONE.

Haslam, C., Jetten, J., Cruwys, T., et al. (2018). The new psychology of health: Unlocking the social cure. Routledge.

Holman, E. A., Garfin, D. R., & Silver, R. C. (2014). Media’s role in broadcasting acute stress following collective trauma. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., & Layton, J. B. (2010). Social relationships and mortality risk: A meta-analytic review. PLOS Medicine.

Jacobson, N. S., Martell, C. R., & Dimidjian, S. (2001). Behavioral activation treatment for depression. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice.

LeGates, T. A., Fernandez, D. C., & Hattar, S. (2014). Light as a central modulator of circadian rhythms, sleep, and affect. Nature Reviews Neuroscience.

Lieberman, M. D., Eisenberger, N. I., Crockett, M. J., et al. (2007). Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity. Psychological Science.

Limburg, K., Watson, H. J., Hagger, M. S., et al. (2017). The relationship between perfectionism and psychopathology: A meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Psychology.

Polusny, M. A., Erbes, C. R., Thuras, P., et al. (2015). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for PTSD among veterans. JAMA.

Schuch, F. B., Vancampfort, D., Richards, J., et al. (2016). Physical activity and incident depression: A meta-analysis. American Journal of Psychiatry.

Seligman, M. E. P., Steen, T. A., Park, N., et al. (2005). Positive psychology progress: Empirical validation of interventions. American Psychologist.

Stubbs, B., Vancampfort, D., Rosenbaum, S., et al. (2017). An examination of the anxiolytic effects of exercise. Psychiatry Research.

Wirz-Justice, A. (2009). From the basic neuroscience of circadian clock function to light therapy for depression. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience.

By: Claire Butcher

In the spring there are three closely related national days revolving around the benefits of physical activity and nature: National Exercise Day, National Play Outside Day, and National Walking Day. It’s likely we all think of ways we could be incorporating more physical activity and time outside when we hear about these highlighted dates. Between hectic work schedules, daunting updates in the news, and nearly unlimited access to screens and quick dopamine-hits, it can be difficult to reconnect with our bodies and the outdoors. This article will shed light on the benefits of movement and nature, and provide ways we can reduce the barriers to integrating these essential activities into our schedule. 

Benefits of Nature

Time outside can give us one of the most immediate benefits to mental health – drastically reducing stress, lowering our cortisol levels, and improving our mood. Sunlight specifically plays a large role in boosting our production of serotonin and reducing symptoms of depression. Research shows that routine exposure to nature also helps us reduce rumination, or cycles of negative thinking patterns. Some doctors and therapists even prescribe time in nature to their patients, encouraging them to reconnect with the outdoors to gain the numerous health benefits.

Connecting with nature doesn’t always have to look like a long camping trip or strenuous hike; immediate benefits can be achieved through small forms of engagement – gardening, going for a short walk in a park, standing or sitting outside for fresh air, even having a window with a view of nature has been linked to these cognitive benefits. To all the college students – even looking at plants can help improve our focus and memory when studying.

Benefits of Walking and Exercise

Numerous studies have shed light on the incredible benefits of exercise for mental health – from reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression and boosting our ‘feel-good’ hormones and endorphins, to improving our overall brain function. Research even shows even one-time workouts improve cognitive function, sharpening our attention, executive function, memory, and information processing. In this study, age, cognitive status of participants, type of or intensity of exercise, and duration of workout had no significant impact on the benefits participants received. 

Some clinicians recommend pairing mindfulness training with movement – suggesting two to five minute walks in-silence to boost our awareness, brain growth, and mood. Again, remember that small goals can make a big difference, one major study in 2021 discovered that any level of physical activity improved depression risk. Daily movement can even improve symptoms of more severe mental health struggles like PTSD, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s. For depression, research has proven aerobic exercises (such as jogging, swimming, cycling, walking, dancing, gardening) significantly reduce symptoms.

Make it Accessible

Just because we know the benefits of movement and spending time in nature, doesn’t mean it’s easy to integrate. Here are some tips to get started and keep the momentum going:

• Habit stacking – pairing one existing habit with a new one you’re trying to incorporate (doing chair yoga or a short workout while watching a TV show, going for a walk while calling a friend or listening to music)
• Momentum building – identifying tasks to complete while working towards the end-goal (getting up, drinking water, grabbing a snack, going for a walk, then coming home to clean your room now that your mind and body are active)
  • Or, identifying things that need to happen such as waking up and coming home from class or work, and doing an activity you want to do afterwards (i.e.: getting home from work → then going for a walk; feeding yourself or a pet → then stretching or doing a short workout)
• Body doubling / Accountability – having a friend to engage in these things with, or someone to report back to, can help us stick to our goals
• Lower the bar – if it’s too intimidating to start, lower the expectation (instead of “go on a 30 minute walk each day”, change that to “walk for five minutes a day” so you can integrate the habit so it’s achievable even on your hardest days
• ‘Kill until’ – if we wait for the perfect time to start something new, we will wait forever! Dishes, laundry, and other non-urgent maintenance often can wait while we take time to practice other forms of self-care
• Get rid of unhelpful rules – if it’s too difficult to do the ‘right’ steps, make your own! (workout at home in your current clothes or pajamas if it’s too much to change into gym clothes and drive to a gym or go outside)

While managing mental health is a multi-layered and complex process, starting with solid foundations of accessible exercise and time outdoors are highly effective ways to improve our wellbeing. Reconnecting with our bodies, minds, and green spaces – even briefly – is vital in this stressful time to ensure we maintain grounded and connected with our spaces and communities around us.

References: 

• Harvard Medicine – A Walk in the Woods May Boost Mental Health
• American Psychological Association – Nurtured by Nature
• American Psychological Association – Exercise and Cognition
• Psychology Today – 2 Mental Health Benefits of Silent Walking
• Psychology Today – The Role of Movement in Mental Health
• National Library of Medicine – Exercise for Mental Health