Mental Health Month and So Much More!

Hey there, everyone! Brendan here, and man, May is a busy month! It's Mental Health Awareness Month, and I wanted to talk about a few aspects of that and some events that might be good for those looking to make changes. 

Staying Strong, Mind and Body

Mental health is simultaneously one of the most important and most commonly neglected aspects of our being. With the fast-paced and often cut-throat nature of today's world, where some people will gladly climb over others to get ahead, it can feel that it's even justifiable to put this aspect of self-care on the backburner. We're induced and even incentivized to sacrifice our mental health (as well as our physical!), but for each of us as individuals and for those who care about us, we cannot and should not do that. 

It's easy to get lost in all the advice, books, social media content and other media about how best to keep your mind organized and steady your mental, but there are general ideas worth remembering: 

• Eat well: Keeping a routine for when you eat and making sure that your meals and snacks provide your body with the appropriate vitamins and other fuels it needs to function is critical. According to the UK's Mental Health Foundation, some of the most important factors include regularly eating to maintain blood sugar, eating foods with the right kinds of fats (and avoid trans fats) and including protein as part of every meal that you can. On a related note, make sure to stay hydrated.

• Sleeping habits: Much like with your diet, make sure that you're keeping a consistent sleep schedule. Allowing your body to rest helps to prevent both mental and physical fatigue, involving issues ranging from trouble focusing to a weakening of your immune system. 

• Maintain social connections: Something that I concede I've neglected a bit, I've been trying to put myself out there a bit more. Try to meet new people and make new friends (something difficult as an adult, I know, but not impossible). On a related note, do not be afraid to ask for help! It's such a simple thing, but reminding ourselves that there are folks who care about us who can offer advice and support is important, and making use of those resources can benefit you in multiple ways. 
• Exercise every day:Our schedules are frequently packed beyond the bounds of our calendars, but doing your best to take some time for yourself and keep your body in motion can help so much. In my personal experience, I've been taking walks after work every day and it's helped me to clear anxieties out of my head, get some fresh air and see more of my community. I have some more suggestions on this point below, involving some great friends of Nakee Butter!

Avenues Toward Improvement

Perhaps the hardest thing about changing your habits and moving on this path is simply to start. Taking that first step into something else is beyond difficult, not necessarily because you don't want to, but because change is naturally frightening. I wanted to share a few items from Nakee's upcoming itinerary— events around Metro Detroit— that are great opportunities to hit some of those bullet points I listed and jumpstart your journey.

• Onyx Athletic Club:We're partnering with our friends at Onyx to celebrate the grand opening of their new location in Detroit. They're some of the best around when it comes to both motivation and the equipment and knowledge, and we love their zeal for self-improvement. The celebration is on May 17th, 2025 from 8–11 AM! Free workout classes are available at 8:30 & 9:45 AM, as well as a number of local vendors (including Nakee). You can learn more here.
• Flower Day at Eastern Market: There's a lot going on this weekend! On May 17 and 18, we'll have our usual booth at Eastern Market, but Sunday is something extra special. It's Flower Day, one of the great community events of the year and features displays and booths from the Metro Detroit Flower Growers Association. Come see us, join the festivities and try some of the great local fare that the Market has to offer. Learn more here.
• The Benny Brunch: An opportunity to connect with fellow health advocates, learn more about yourself and how to improve, and gain access to experiences from yoga classes to saunas and cold plunges. There's also going to be a live DJ, all-organic eggs benedict brunch and so much more; as they put it themselves, this brunch is "trading mimosas for momentum." Get your ticket and learn more here.
• Detroit Techno 5K:One of the most interesting events in town, where endurance meets the underground—Detroit Techno 5K turns Historic Fort Wayne into a high-energy fusion of sweat, beats, and city grit. Run hard, vibe harder, and cross the finish line straight into an open-air rave you won’t forget. The event is on May 25: registration starts at 11am, the race proper at noon, and the rave after the race itself. Slots are limited; buy your tickets here.
• Barefoot and Free Festival: We had an absolutely amazing time at this event last year! We're so glad to be returning, sharing our spreads with you guys and above all learning more about ways to interact with our world and each other. The Barefoot and Free Festival is a summit of classes, vendors and so much more, and it's one of the best events that Metro Detroit has to offer. It runs from August 1 to 3; learn more here.

To prove how great a venue for personal change and empowerment these events are, we have plenty of past experience to point to. We just worked with the folks at the Crucible Endurance Hike with their own event recently, and it was absolutely fantastic. We met several people who were on the early steps of their own path, and we learned their stories.

Others have been reaching out to us on social media, mentioning not just how they enjoyed the Nakee Butter pouches they got to try, but also the aspect of community that the Crucible people fostered between hikers and vendors, as well as among each other. Understanding and appreciating that "no man is an island", and that we are all interconnected and can use that to benefit ourselves and each other, is a critical aspect of all these events. If you've got the time, and you're considering joining us on any of these, take the chance! You never know what it could do to help bolster, guide or inspire you!

I'm looking forward to going into more detail on different aspects of mental health and sharing it with you guys soon. Let us know what you're interested in learning more about, or which of the events we talked about today you might be attending. Thanks so much for reading, and have a great rest of your week! This is Brendan, signing off for now.