Kevin Polky on the Morning Routine
    Kevin Polky, founder of KP Counseling, speaks with Matt Hall and Chelsea Meyer on the B103 Morning Routine on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, inside B103’s studio in Rockford. (Photo by Kevin Haas/Rock River Current)
    By Kevin Haas
    Rock River Current
    Get our newsletter

    ROCKFORD — You don’t need to wait for something to go wrong to start working on your mental health.

    Mental health, like physical health, is something you can work on regularly to create the best version of yourself, said Kevin Polky, the founder and executive director of KP Counseling.

    “I go to the gym, not necessarily because there’s something wrong, but I go to the gym to be the best version of myself,” he said. “So when I think about mental health, it isn’t because something’s going on or something’s wrong necessarily, but how can I be the best version of me for my family, for the people around me, the people I work with or just in the community.”

    That’s part of the message Polky delivered in an interview Wednesday with Matt Hall and Chelsea Meyer on B103’s Morning Routine. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Polky talked about tips for managing your mental health, a proposed indoor equestrian center at Lockwood Park and helping youth heal from trauma.

    Listen to the full interview below:

    He said laughter, movement or taking time out for deep breathing can be key to improving your mental health.

    Related: Rockford Park District pushes for funding for ‘desperately needed’ equestrian center for mental health

    The benefits of exercise on mental health have long been touted because it releases important neurotransmitters such as endorphins that can improve your mood.

    “Using movement is critically important to burn off those chemicals, or doing something creative, or my son loves be able to watch stand-up comedians,” he said. 

    Polky said you don’t necessarily need an intense workout. Sometimes you can just take time to go for a walk.

    “Sometimes what we need to do is we need to get away from all the noise,” he said. “That idea of going for a walk, having some solitude, not to continue to go over and over those thoughts, but maybe to just go out and hear the breeze and look at the little things that we don’t normally notice because we’re too busy thinking.”

    Mental Health Awareness Month

    May is Mental Health Awareness Month, which has been observed in the United States since 1949. Throughout the month, the Rock River Current will publish several stories looking at use of the mental health sales tax in Winnebago County and other local initiatives centered around mental health.

    This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas.

    Tags: ,