One in five adults in the U.S. experience mental illness each year, yet they don’t always seek treatment for it.
Aspirus Health is encouraging individuals to take meaningful, everyday steps toward emotional well-being.
Jessica Schaefer is a licensed clinical therapist with Aspirus Health.
She says one of the most effective ways to begin improving mental well-being is through emotional self-awareness.
“We pay attention to our body, if we're hungry, then that means we need to eat, right? So listening to our emotions, if I'm starting to feel overwhelmed, instead of pushing that off throughout the work day or throughout the entire week, maybe I check in with myself. Give myself a little bit of break,” said Schaefer.
Schaefer says while it can be tempting to push difficult emotions aside but avoiding them can lead to increased stress over time.
“It might get even worse and be harder to deal with,” said Schaefer. “When something comes up, we want to try to deal with it head on. That's where coming into therapy, seeing a provider, can be really helpful to kind of get it under control.”
Practices like noticing moments of gratitude or surrounding yourself with emotionally supportive people can help you feel more grounded, especially during challenging times.
There are other resources available as well.
The Oneida County Health Department offers Credible Mind, an online resource for emotional and mental wellbeing.
NAMI Northern Lakes offers peer and family support.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and the 2025 theme "Turn Awareness Into Action.”
Support for local health coverage on WXPR is brought to you in part by a grant from the Rhinelander Health Foundation.
