Mental Health Check-In: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself This August

August often feels like an in-between month. Summer isn't quite over, but signs of fall are already creeping in—school starts up again, routines begin to shift, and the pace of life slowly picks up. It’s a natural time to pause and reflect.

A simple mental health check-in can be a powerful tool for self-awareness. You don’t need hours of journaling or a major life breakthrough—just a few quiet moments to reconnect with yourself and your emotional landscape.

Here are five gentle questions to guide a mental health check-in this August. You can use them as journaling prompts, during a mindfulness practice, or simply reflect on them during a quiet moment in your day.

1. What is currently taking up the most space in my mind?

This question invites you to identify the dominant thought, worry, or emotion you’ve been carrying. Sometimes, just naming it can reduce its weight.

Prompt:
Is this something I can control or shift? Do I need to process it more deeply—or give myself permission to set it down, even temporarily?

2. What emotions have been most present for me this summer?

Take a moment to reflect on the emotional tone of the past few months. Have you been feeling anxious, joyful, overwhelmed, disconnected, peaceful?

Prompt:
When did I feel most like myself? When did I feel off-center or distant from how I want to feel?

3. How is my relationship with rest and routine right now?

Summer often brings disruptions—travel, family activities, changes in work or school schedules. These shifts can impact how we care for ourselves, sometimes without realizing it.

Prompt:
Do I feel rested or depleted? What would it look like to return to a rhythm that supports my mental and physical wellbeing?

4. Who or what has been nourishing—or draining—my energy?

This question helps you examine the people, environments, or habits that have impacted your emotional energy—both positively and negatively.

Prompt:
Are there connections I want to deepen—or boundaries I need to set? What parts of my environment are supporting me, and which are pulling me down?

5. What intention would I like to carry into the coming season?

As summer winds down, consider what you want to carry with you into the fall. Not a resolution, but an intention—a feeling or value you’d like to center.

Prompt:
What would it look like to live this intention out in one small way this week?

Final Thoughts

Mental health check-ins aren’t about fixing yourself—they’re about noticing. They create space to tune in to your needs, patterns, and desires without judgment.

If these questions brought something to the surface that feels heavy or unresolved, it may be a sign that additional support could be helpful. Therapy can offer a space to process, explore, and reconnect with yourself more deeply.