Back in 1949, Mental Health America made May Mental Health Awareness Month to raise awareness and understanding. Attitudes have certainly changed/improved since then, but all is not well nowadays, not at all. Indeed, one headline after another speaks to our collective unease, like these from…
- Education Week: “New Research Shows How Bad the Pandemic Has Been on Student Health”
- USA Today: “Mental Health Impact of COVID Will Most Likely Outlive Pandemic”
- ABC News: “As Youth Mental Illness Soars, US Task Force Recommends Screening Children As Young As Age 8 for Anxiety”
To offset the constant barrage of troubling news, expert advice includes:
- Spend time outside
- Get enough sleep
- Eat Well
- Keep up with friends
- Get moving
- Maintain routines
- Dance (like no one’s looking)
- Tune in to music
- Seek therapy if concerns mount
Yes, indeed, but I’d like to add …
- From an unnamed 87-year-old, “I learned a long time ago not to see the world through printed headlines. I see the world through the people who surround me. I see the world with the realization that we love big…”
- From Story People’s Kai Skye: “Try not to forget, she said to me, how sweet it is to lose yourself in the things that bring you joy.”
For me, topping the list is always family and friends, but also my deaf/blind dog Jenny, Peanut Chews, books, pre-dawn walks, red wine, reruns of The Mentalist, cleaning (yes, really), and, when in need, a bologna (thinly sliced) sandwich loaded with mustard and potato chips. No doom scrolling for me…
How about you?
With thanks and well wishes, Carol