Today, we celebrate Earth Day! This annual event, observed on April 22, is a global initiative dedicated to appreciating the beauty of nature and advocating for the health of our planet. Interestingly, caring for the environment is not just about the earth; it’s also about caring for our mental health. The connection between our environment and our mental well-being is profound.
Sleep day is on March 15th and serves as a reminder that sleep is an important part of health and overall well-being. We do a lot of promoting mental health but often overlook the importance of basic health habits and how they can impact our moods or functioning. I would guess that many of you reading this have struggled with falling asleep, staying asleep, or just not feeling rested. Sleep is a basic need, much like eating, drinking, and breathing. However, 1 in 3 adults report not getting adequate rest or sleep. When this occurs, we start to see a decline in productivity and an increase in health-related issues and illness.
Personal boundaries separate you from others and define your space to be yourself. They are crucial to maintaining your mental and emotional health and well-being. A lack of personal boundaries typically influences a person's ability to be vulnerable, as there is a fear of sharing their emotions with others. Instead, there is a focus on making others happy or comfortable.
“How does that make you feel?” Those words encompass a stereotypical and humorous picture of how many people imagine therapy to be. While it’s true that therapy provides a safe environment for exploring emotions, therapists are also equipped to assist clients with processing their feelings about their feelings.
October can mean many things: football, Halloween, fall weather, or a time change. For those of us in the mental health field, we know things get tough when seasons change. Although fall may be my favorite time of year, I know that daylight hours are getting shorter, and others may start to feel a little darker, too. You may not know this, but 1 in 5 U.S. adults and 1 in 6 U.S. youths experience mental illness each year (NAMI). According to SAMHSA, only 47.2% of U.S. adults with mental illness received treatment in 2021.
If you are a parent who spends much time on social media, you’ve likely seen the many posts about supporting teachers through their Amazon wish list. This is where teachers create a registry of items that they would love to have in their classrooms for the coming school year. Many family members, friends, and even strangers go to this list to make a purchase and support the teacher. It gets sent directly to their doorstep and is a very convenient way to show teachers appreciation and encouragement, which is well deserved.