This is our fifth year of strengthening healthy habits, and we invite you to take part in the movement. Starting in the fall, we want to focus on how to help the younger generations strengthen the ability to improve their mental health.

To plan this, an hour-long retreat will be open to the public, held at the Enumclaw Library on Tuesday, June 11 from 5 to 6 p.m.

Starting each November, we suggest finding leads for each of the five habits, really concentrating on just one habit over 30 days. Studies suggest it takes about that long to either strengthen a good habit or weaken a bad one. But our focus is on the “good” – being more grateful, positive, mindful, kind and active. A five-month effort designed to last a lifetime!

This year we want to reach out to the younger members among us. With the stresses of life, the negativity thrust all around and the busyness of so much happening, children can easily lose the cheerfulness they are born with. We need to remind them what is truly important: to be grateful “for what one has” and not “always want more”; to recognize the importance of positive events and soak them in; to learn reflection and meditative techniques to discover a single-minded focus, and bring calmness, more creativity and increased productiveness to their everyday efforts; to regularly engage in daily activities for better physical and mental health; and, as always, be consciously kind to others.

So how can you ingrain these habits? How best can we teach our children or grandchildren? What would be the best method to reach the adults in our area? If you have any ideas to share, we would love to hear them.

Last year we had great workshops like laughter therapy, forest bathing, and bringing kindness to Boise Creek by clearing invasive plants and planting native ones, and read inspirational books like Carol Decker’s “Unshattered” and Dick Van Dyke’s “Keep Moving.” Can you help make this year as good a success?

SoHaPP stands for the Science of Happiness and Positive Psychology. Not religious in nature but backed by science, making these characteristics stronger within ourselves will lead to better mental health.

Go to www.sohapp.org to learn more about the benefits of these five habits or call 360-825-5581. Join the movement and bring in the young. It’s free and there’s no sign up – just show up each day with an important thought to focus on. Hold yourself and the young people you know accountable every day for 30 days. Strengthen these character qualities, one habit at a time, beginning in November and ending in March.