When we reach across difference with curiosity and care, everyone’s mental health benefits.
July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, also known as BIPOC Mental Health Month. It’s a time to recognize that mental health challenges affect every community, but access to support, cultural understanding, and representation in care remain unevenly distributed. The American Psychological Association reports that people of color are less likely to receive mental health services — not because they need them less, but because of systemic barriers and stigma.
At MY FAVE FIVE, we believe that building bridges across difference is one of the most important things we can do for collective well-being. These five actions will help you expand your perspective, deepen your connections, and honor the diverse experiences of the people in your life.
Action Steps for July
1. Expand Your Circle
Our closest relationships shape how we see the world. When our circle includes people with different backgrounds, cultures, and life experiences, we grow in ways we can’t on our own. Connection across difference isn’t just good for society — it’s good for your mental health, building resilience and broadening your sense of belonging.
Action step: Look at your FAVE FIVE star in the app. Think about who brings a different perspective to your life. If there’s someone new you’d like to connect with, reach out this week and start building that bridge.
2. Listen to Understand
True support means listening with the goal of understanding, not responding. When someone shares their experience — especially one that differs from yours — your job isn’t to relate it to your own story, it’s to honor theirs. This kind of deep listening is a form of respect that strengthens every relationship it touches.
Action step: This week, have a conversation with someone whose background is different from yours. Ask an open-ended question and truly listen. Use the app to send a follow-up message of appreciation afterward.
3. Try a New Coping Approach
Different cultures have rich traditions around healing and coping — from communal storytelling to movement practices to spending time in nature. Exploring approaches outside your usual routine can unlock new tools for managing stress and expanding your emotional vocabulary.
Action step: Browse the coping strategies in the MY FAVE FIVE app and try one you haven’t used before. Bonus: ask someone in your life what coping strategies work for them — you might discover something new.
4. Learn the 7 Cs
The 7 Cs of resilience — Competence, Confidence, Connection, Character, Contribution, Coping, and Control — offer a roadmap for personal growth that works across every background. Understanding these principles helps you recognize strengths you already have and identify areas where you’d like to grow.
Action step: Explore the personal growth resources in the app and read about the 7 Cs. Choose one C that feels most relevant to your life right now and set a small goal around it this month.
5. Ground Yourself Outdoors
Nature is one of the most universal healers. Studies show that spending even twenty minutes outside can lower cortisol levels and improve mood. Grounding — feeling the earth beneath your feet, noticing the sky, listening to birdsong — brings you into the present and reminds you that you’re part of something larger.
Action step: Step outside today and practice a one-minute grounding exercise: name five things you see, four you hear, three you feel, two you smell, and one you taste. Log your experience in the app.
Building Bridges Starts With You
You don’t need to have all the answers to make a difference. Every time you listen with intention, try something new, or reach across a divide, you’re creating space where more people can thrive. Mental health belongs to all of us — and so does the work of making support accessible to everyone.
Open the MY FAVE FIVE app today and take one step toward building a bridge. The person on the other side might need it more than you know.
Remember: If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or visit their website for online chat options.
