Clinical Contributors to this story:
Jessica Yao, M.D.
Community First Chief Medical Officer
Mary H. Garcia Holguin, MD
Community First Medical Director
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Taking care of your mental health is vital to your overall health and wellness. We can’t control everything that happens in our lives, but we can do small things to improve our mindset and feel better.
This May, we will release a series of blogs with 5 tips on how you can improve your mental health.
Connecting with others is an excellent way to begin feeling better. Long story short, people need people. Isolation can lead to loneliness and take a toll on our health. We all need the magic of connection!
What connection does to our brains
Psychology Today reports, “Connection is foundational to both mental and physical health and helps us reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness. And the good news is that everyone has access to connection regardless of living arrangement, number of friends, or family size.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also examines the science, concluding that:
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- Connecting with others activates feelings of belonging and being loved, cared for, and valued.
- Social connections are important to our health, both physical and mental.
- These connections can protect against serious illness.
- Strong social bonds often lead to living longer, healthier lives.
Ways to connect
How does a shy or introverted person make connections? What about someone who lives alone?
Start by going somewhere public, like a park, library, or mall.
Believe it or not, even a brief social connection with a stranger is a plus for our mental health! You don’t even have to strike up a conversation. Just try smiling at someone while making eye contact. Smiling releases a brain chemical called oxytocin, sometimes called the “love hormone.”
It’s an immediate boost of feel-good energy running through your brain! It also sends a wave of oxytocin to the other person’s brain and can activate more feel-good brain chemicals, serotonin and dopamine. Plus, smiling has health benefits, including stress management, a stronger immune system, and a longer life.
Interacting with a good friend or family member can also boost your mood.
Tapping into these close relationships can promote feelings of love and belonging. Nothing beats laughing with a friend or spending time with someone who loves you unconditionally. Text or call someone in your social circle today and start feeling better.
Pets, especially dogs or cats, are another way to turn on the feel-good receptors in your brain.
Studies suggest that just by petting an animal, you can reduce the stress hormone cortisol and lower your blood pressure. Simply stated, connecting with animals can make you feel better. Dogs, in particular, motivate us to make new human friends and get more exercise by taking them on walks.
However you connect with others, remember it’s almost always worth the effort! You are not alone; there are many paths to feeling connected to friends, family, animals, and the outside world. Connection is a powerful tool for starting to feel better mentally.
Everyone’s mental health journey looks different, but adding healthy habits to your day, like journaling, getting plenty of sleep, and staying active, can help you feel better.
From May 5 to June 30, Community First Members can earn a FREE Smart Sports Bracelet by participating in our Healthier You! Mental Fitness Member Activity and sharing how you care for your mental health.
Mental Health Support for Community First Members
Community First offers several resources for Members of all ages in need of mental health support. Members do not need a referral for mental health or substance use services.
Counseling/Therapy
Community First offers access to many contracted outpatient mental health professionals. You can search for a mental health provider by using our online directory or call Member Services at the number listed on your Member ID card for help making an appointment. If you have a Case Manager or Service Coordinator, you can also contact them directly.
Community First Health & Wellness Programs
Community First Members can join our focused Health & Wellness Program, Healthy Mind: Behavioral Health Program, at no cost, for help finding the right mental health professional and for other help and resources.
Behavioral Health & Substance Use Support Lines
Community First Members can also call our toll-free Behavioral Health & Substance Use Support Line, available 24 hours a day/7 days a week:
| STAR KIDS/STAR+PLUS Members | All Other Health Plan Members | 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline |
| 1-844-541-2347 | 1-877-221-2226 | 988 |
Check out more mental health tips from Community First as a part of this blog series.
Sources
Gazella, K. (2023, December 7). The Health Benefits of Connection. Psychology Today. PsychologyToday.com/us/Blog/The-Healing-Factor/202312/The-Health-Benefits-of-Connection. 4/17/2025.
(2018, February). The Power of Pets. News in Health (National Institutes of Health). NewsinHealth.NIH.gov/2018/02/Power-Pets. 4/16/2025.
(2023, March 8). How Do Companion Animals and Therapy Animals Support Mental Well-being? Psychiatry.org (American Psychiatric Association). Psychiatry.org/News-Room/APA-Blogs/Companion-and-Therapy-Animals-Mental-Wellbeing
(2024, May 15). Social Connectedness. CDC.gov. CDC.gov/Social-Connectedness/About/Index.html. 4/18/2025.