April is National Stress Awareness Month, a reminder that stress affects both your mind and body. Stress can worsen sleep, mood, and even diabetes management. Chronic stress raises cortisol, which can spike blood sugar and make self-care harder for people with prediabetes or diabetes.
We’re proud to offer local programs to help you reduce stress, improve wellness, and prevent chronic disease.
Move Your Body With the Active Marion Project (AMP)
The Active Marion Project (AMP) helps you manage stress through movement, education, and community support. These programs make healthy habits and stress management simple and fun.
Step Challenges and the AMP 2 App
Physical activity is one of the most effective ways to lower stress. To encourage Marion County to be more physically active, The Active Marion Project (AMP) created the AMP 2 app and uses friendly competition to encourage people to engage in physical activity in our communities. It automatically tracks your movement, allowing you to focus on walking rather than logging data. For every 100 steps you take, you earn a point, which can be redeemed for rewards through local partner businesses.
Free Workplace Wellness Assistance
AMP also supports local businesses with Free Workplace Wellness Assistance, helping employers create a culture of wellness through activity-based challenges, group health education, and incentive programs. Employers can use employee surveys to understand needs, implement health-promoting policies, provide point-of-decision prompts, and organize competitions and incentives through the AMP 2 app. By prioritizing wellness, companies help employees feel healthier, happier, and better equipped to manage stress on the job.
The Diabetes Empowerment Education Program (DEEP™)
Managing diabetes is about more than just diet and exercise, it’s also about managing stress. High stress levels can affect blood sugar, disrupt sleep, and make it harder to stick to healthy habits. That’s why AMP developed the Diabetes Empowerment Education Program (DEEP™) with tools to help participants manage stress alongside diabetes.
DEEP is an eight-week, science-backed curriculum offered for free to help those with prediabetes, diabetes, and their caregivers learn practical self-care skills, improve nutrition, increase physical activity, and develop strategies to reduce stress. The program also strengthens communication with healthcare providers and connects participants to community resources, creating a support network that eases anxiety and builds confidence in managing their condition.
By addressing stress as part of diabetes management, DEEP empowers participants to maintain better blood sugar control, prevent complications, and improve overall quality of life. The program’s emphasis on coping strategies, mindfulness, and healthy daily routines makes it a vital tool for both physical and mental wellness.
Build Skills and Access Resources With Community Home Project (CHP)
The Community Home Project (CHP) at Howard Academy offers free programs for families in Ocala, designed to reduce stress and improve overall wellness.
CHP provides:
- Fitness and nutrition classes, including cooking, diabetes education, and Eat Healthy-Be Active programs
- Medical and dental support, including healthcare navigation and referrals
- Employment assistance, from career coaching to resume help and job fairs
- Education programs, including youth tutoring, life-skills classes, GED, and continuing education
By combining fitness, nutrition, and education resources in one place, CHP helps families manage stress, improve health, and build long-term resilience.
Develop Healthy Habits Early With FANS
The Fitness and Nutrition in Schools (FANS) program helps Marion County children develop healthy habits that prevent obesity, diabetes, and stress. FANS partners with local schools to:
- Increase physical activity in PE and classrooms
- Promote healthy lifestyle choices and nutrition education
- Engage students in FANS Clubs for health awareness campaigns and taste tests
FANS empowers children and teens to make healthy choices that improve both physical and mental health.
Comprehensive Behavioral Health With Beacon Point
If you’re facing stress-related mental health or substance use challenges, Beacon Point offers integrated behavioral health care, recovery support, and primary medical care, regardless of insurance.
Beacon Point provides:
- Individual and group counseling
- 24/7 crisis response, peer support, detox, and medication-assisted treatment through SMA Healthcare
- Outpatient therapy via Lifestream
- Primary care through Heart of Florida Health Care
This holistic approach can help address stress, behavioral health, and wellness on one campus.
Connect To Local Resources With Healthy Ocala
The Healthy Ocala initiative is a community support directory offering Marion County a one-stop guide to local wellness services. Healthy Ocala connects people to behavioral health, substance abuse, recovery support, accessible health services, food and housing assistance, education, employment, youth programs, veterans services and senior resources.
Whether managing stress, seeking mental health support, or navigating life challenges, Healthy Ocala helps you find trusted providers and programs nearby.
Find Local Support To Help Manage Your Stress
Stress is a part of life, but Marion County has access to tools and support to manage it. Programs like AMP, DEEP, CHP, FANS, Beacon Point, and Healthy Ocala provide fitness, nutrition, education, mental health support, and workplace wellness resources for all ages.
This National Stress Awareness Month, take control of your health, reduce stress, and build resilience.
For more information, visit mchdt.org.
