Maintaining mental wellness should always be a top priority, according to Bryan Herriman, the center director of CHEER Mental Health in McMinnville.While many take the opportunity at the onset of a year to make plans about their jobs, their social activities and other aspects of their lives, it is also a good time to evaluate what might be done to encourage mental wellness.The World Health Organization defines mental wellness as “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community."Some activities you may find useful in helping to promote your own mental wellness this year include finding time for yourself for relaxing, developing a new hobby or reading, setting aside regular periods for physical exercise that can stimulate your heart rate, relying on personal friendships and relationships to share some of the burdens you are carrying within, eating foods that provide nutritional value to help you function physically and mentally, and vitally important is making sure you are getting a sufficient amount of rest and sleep.All of these considerations can be of benefit to a person's mental wellness and can also help relieve much of life's daily stress.For more information on mental health issues, contact CHEER Mental Health at 473-9649.