BANGOR, Maine — May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and communities and businesses across Maine are taking time to raise awareness and share ideas on how we can all better take care of ourselves.
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, in 2020, one person died by suicide every 32 hours in Maine.
In an effort to make facts like this more well-known and help those who are struggling with their mental health, L.L. Bean is doing something different with its social media habits this month: going "off the grid."
The retailer won't be posting on social media for all of May and has wiped its Instagram account clean.
During this time, L.L Bean is leaving behind online resources encouraging everyone to spend more time outside and prioritize their mental health.
Physiatrist Dr. Anthony Ng with Northern Light Acadia Hospital in Bangor told NEWS CENTER Maine there are a lot of benefits to getting outside.
“There are tremendous benefits to exercising and being outdoors," Ng said. "For example, there are studies that have shown hormonal changes improve your mood when you're outdoors doing activities."
Spending time outside can also reduce stress, help you meet and get to know people, and improve your physical health.
Ng added that the warming weather provides a great chance for everyone to take advantage of fewer COVID restrictions.
“I think it’s important that people try to reconnect as much as they can with family and friends," Ng said. "Still protecting yourself [from COVID] if need be. But, certainly, have a lot of those opportunities."