 Over the past several years, mental health awareness has increased in many ways, but being aware is not enough. Building mental health literacy is the next step. Here are four things you need to know about mental health literacy. One, understand how to foster and maintain good mental health. Everyone has mental health. Working towards building a healthy mind is unique for each of us as individuals, but research shows that five things can have a positive impact on your mental health. Investing in positive relationships, eating healthy and nutritious food, making time for exercise, getting enough sleep, and helping others. As your life changes, so do your needs. Learning to adapt to these changes in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle is the process you work on throughout your life. Two, understand mental disorders and their treatments. A mental illness or disorder is a medical condition diagnosed by a family doctor psychiatrist or a registered psychologist after certain criteria are met. Some mental illnesses may require medication and specific types of psychotherapy or other types of evidence-informed treatment. You can learn about mental illnesses, their signs and symptoms, and when to access professional help. Changing the way we look at mental illness and thinking about it as we would a physical illness can help to decrease stigma, which leads us to, three, decrease stigma surrounding mental illness. Society is making progress to be more accepting of mental illness, but we have a long way to go. In addition, many people suffer from self-stigma, believing they're weak or flawed if they experience poor mental health or a mental illness. Studies show that people still have negative connotations with the words mental illness. In order to break down the social stigma that still exists, we need to openly talk about mental health and mental illness, debunk the many myths that are out there and be thoughtful about the languages we use to talk about these issues. Four, understand how to seek help effectively. We learn how to navigate the health system for our physical needs, and most of us know how to use first aid when we hurt ourselves or basic self-care when we're sick. If the problems persist, we know when to see a doctor for expert help. However, when it comes to mental health, many people don't know where to start. Talking to supportive friends or family can help when going through a difficult time in your life. Seeking professional support from a counselor is helpful when mental health problems start to interfere with your ability to go about your daily life. And talking to your doctor is a good first step if you believe you're experiencing symptoms of a mental illness or disorder. Be sure to seek emergency medical attention if you know someone's at risk of harming themselves or someone else, or if they're experiencing hallucinations, a drug overdose, or a potential brain injury. We all have a role to play in supporting our own and each other's mental health. Developing mental health literacy is a great way to start.