Living alone can have its challenges, especially when you’re living in the least populated state in the country. Ensuring you have strong mental health is key to living a happy and successful life.

With May being Mental Health Awareness month, I figured what better time to talk about mental health than just a few short weeks before we hit the month of May.

Mental health is something that is often not discussed enough by people, especially men. We’re told to be tough and oftentimes taught not to show our emotions or let people know when we’re having problems. Keeping things like that to yourself is the worst thing you can do.

One of the biggest challenges people can run into is when they’re living alone and don’t have many friends or family nearby to help when times are tough.

I moved to Torrington in late December of 2020. I’ve enjoyed it here so far, but there are times when it can be difficult living in a small town where you don’t know anyone. All the people I’ve met have been extremely friendly so far, but occasionally I miss not knowing people my age who would want to get a beer after work or go play a round of golf.

Having strong relationships with other people is a great way to ensure you have strong mental health. Talking on the phone with friends and family is nice but having those in person interactions with people are more beneficial for me.

Instead of having friends and family to help provide an escape from work, I’ve had to rely on myself to ensure I don’t get too consumed with what I do Monday through Friday. That can be a bit difficult when you don’t have healthy distractions to keep your mind occupied when not working.

The last few weekends the weather has been much nicer than the first few months I lived here. I’ve made sure to take advantage of that nice weather and get out of the house and do things outside.

I picked up a basketball a month ago and it’s been great shooting hoops at Jirdon Park. I played basketball my entire life and it’s been nice being able to enjoy the outdoors doing something I love. 

Playing basketball without other people can be a bit difficult, but I remembered a game I learned at a basketball camp when I was in middle school. The instructor told us when you’re playing alone it can be difficult to stay focused on what you’re doing. So instead, he came up with a way to keep you engaged in the game.

The game is very simple. All you do is choose your favorite basketball player and pretend you’re playing a one-on-one game against them. Every basket you make counts as a point for you, if you miss, the points go to who you’re playing against. It’s a simple game, but it’s one that keeps me active and gives me an escape from my daily routine. 

Another thing I’ve been doing lately is exploring many of the hiking and walking trails in the area. One thing I’ve taken for granted out here is all the natural beauty that surrounds us. Over the weekend I went to Guernsey and walked/hiked multiple different trails. 

Having lived in a flat place like South Florida the past few years, being in a place like Guernsey was awesome. I enjoyed walking along the banks of the North Platte River and seeing all the names etched into Register Cliff. 

I love western history and reading the struggles people went through on their journey west and seeing all the different names carved into the rocks at Register Cliffs was a cool experience. It was also a great mental escape and something that helped recharge my batteries.

Recently, I had a friend who I went to college with attempt suicide. Thankfully, he is still here with us. He has been dealing with mental health issues for the past few years and he often consumes himself with work. My friends and I have tried for months to get him to focus on things besides work and to give him different suggestions of things he can do to improve his mental health.

I always felt like a hypocrite when I’d give him suggestions, knowing that I wasn’t even taking my own advice, the advice I was giving him, to heart.

To people who are struggling with mental health, it’s important for you to find different things to occupy your time other than work or depending on substances like alcohol. Take time to do things outside and soak up some vitamin D. Let people in your life know about what is going on and listen to the advice they give you.

You only have one life. Go out and enjoy things that make you happy. Explore places you’ve never been before and when you know you’re feeling down, reach out to someone you trust and talk. 

Always remember, if you’re dealing with suicidal thoughts, there are resources available to help. If you don’t have someone you feel comfortable talking with, you can always reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Their phone number is 800-273-8255.