Sunscreen, Snacks, and Emotional Baggage: A June Reminder That Being Human Is Enough

Before we get started, let's address the obvious. June is both Men's Health Month and Pride Month. Now, if you've read my blogs before, you know I'm usually willing to offer opinions on everything from anxiety to grocery shopping to the mysterious disappearance of every Tupperware lid in existence (seriously, where do they go??). But when it comes to Men's Health Month and Pride Month, I'm going to stay in my lane. Not because these issues aren't important. They absolutely are. Not because I don't care. I very much do. And certainly not because I don't support the people these observances represent. I will continue to advocate for access to care, dignity, respect, equality, inclusion, and the right for every person to live authentically and receive the support they need.

The reality is that I'm not a man, and I'm not a member of the LGBTQ+ community. I can listen. I can learn. I can amplify voices. I can stand beside people. But I don't think it's my place to speak for experiences I haven't lived. There are plenty of incredible individuals, organizations, advocates, and professionals who can speak directly to those experiences far better than I can.

So instead, I'd like to talk about something that belongs to all of us. Being human. Because whether you're celebrating Pride Month, Men's Health Month, both, neither, or you're just trying to survive another Ohio heat wave without melting into a lawn chair, we all carry things that affect our mental health.

And that brings me to June...June is a funny month. It's the season of cookouts, ball games, vacations, community festivals, family reunions, and that annual tradition where we all pretend we enjoy sitting outside in 92-degree weather because someone put a canopy over the picnic table. It's also the month where social media starts convincing us that everyone else is having the best summer ever. Meanwhile, most of us are just trying to remember where we left our sunglasses. And maybe our emotional stability.

Summer has a way of creating expectations. We tell ourselves this is the season we're going to relax, recharge, get outside, reconnect with friends, spend quality time with family, organize the garage, lose fifteen pounds, drink more water, take a vacation, and somehow become the most balanced version of ourselves. That's a lot of pressure for a season that starts with us immediately getting sunburned at our first outdoor event.

The truth is, many people enter summer carrying things no one else can see. Stress. Grief. Anxiety. Relationship struggles. Financial worries. Exhaustion. The lingering effects of a difficult year. Those things don't magically disappear because the calendar flips to June. Mental health doesn't operate on seasonal schedules. You can be sitting at a pool party and still feel overwhelmed. You can be surrounded by people and still feel lonely. You can have every reason to be happy and still struggle. And if you've ever felt guilty about that, you're not alone.

One of the biggest myths about mental health is that we should always feel better when circumstances improve. "If the weather is nice, why am I still stressed?" "If I'm on vacation, why can't I relax?" "If everyone else is having fun, why do I feel disconnected?" Because we're human. Not robots. Not solar-powered emotional support devices. Humans. Complex, messy, wonderfully imperfect humans.

I've noticed something over the years. Most people are pretty good about packing for summer trips. We'll create checklists (this is my love language!). We'll remember extra phone chargers. Bug spray. Sunscreen. Snacks. Backup snacks. Emergency snacks in case of snack-related emergencies (road trips with me look like a 10year old lives in my backseat).

But we rarely prepare for our mental wellness with the same level of intention. What if we did? What if, alongside packing our suitcase, we packed habits that support our mental health? Maybe that's scheduling time to rest instead of filling every weekend. Maybe it's setting boundaries with people who drain our energy. Maybe it's making time for a walk. Calling a friend. Going to counseling. Reading a book. Sitting on the porch doing absolutely nothing for twenty minutes. Which, if you're anything like me, somehow feels both incredibly relaxing and wildly unproductive at the same time.

Summer doesn't have to be extraordinary to be meaningful. You don't have to create a highlight reel. You don't have to make every moment count. You don't have to optimize your leisure time. Sometimes the best moments are the ordinary ones. A conversation that lasts longer than expected. A quiet evening. A laugh that catches you off guard. A child chasing fireflies. A cup of coffee before the rest of the house wakes up. The dog who insists on sitting exactly where you're trying to sit. Again. And again. And somehow again.

Mental wellness is often built in those ordinary moments. Not through dramatic transformations. Not through inspirational quotes on mountain tops. But through small choices made consistently over time. Checking in with yourself. Checking in with others. Giving yourself permission to be human.

This month is also Men's Health Month and Pride Month, two reminders that mental health matters for everyone. Every person deserves to feel seen, supported, and connected. Every person deserves spaces where they can talk honestly about what they're experiencing. Every person deserves to know that asking for help is not weakness. It's courage. Real courage. The kind that changes lives.

So as summer begins, I want to offer a simple challenge. Take care of yourself with the same energy you use to remind everyone else to take care of themselves. Wear the sunscreen. Drink the water. Get some sleep. Laugh often. Reach out when you need support. Check on your neighbors. Check on your friends. Check on the people who always say they're "fine." And maybe check on the person staring back at you in the mirror, too.

Because mental health isn't just something we talk about during awareness months. It's something we live every day. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go find the sunglasses I was wearing on top of my head ten minutes ago.

Happy June. Be kind to yourself and others.

Jamie McGrew