ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Mental literacy

Mental literacy is about understanding what goes on in our brains and how we can use that knowledge to help ourselves and others. Think of your brain like a computer that controls everything you do and feel. Mental literacy helps us learn how to keep our brains healthy and how to manage our emotions and thoughts.

We can do things to keep our brains healthy like getting enough sleep, eating healthy food, and exercising. If we're feeling sad or angry or scared, we can use techniques like taking deep breaths or talking to someone to help ourselves feel better.

It's also important to understand that everyone's brain is different and that mental health struggles are common. Just like we might get a cold, sometimes we might have a hard time with our mental health. We can talk to someone we trust like a parent, a teacher, or a counselor to get the help we need.

Learning about mental literacy can help us be kinder to ourselves and to others. It can help us understand that we're not alone if we're struggling and that there are things we can do to feel better. And just like we need to take care of our bodies, we also need to take care of our brains.