mental health

Want to create meaningful connections with others? 

A powerful tool you can utilize is mindful communication, which helps you foster more understanding and compassion by being aware of the present moment. 

It can also help strengthen important traits like forgiveness, gratitude, decision-making, and leadership so you can build a community. Practicing these mindfulness techniques will help you continue to make strong connections and live a more peaceful life. 

Try these mindfulness techniques and see the positive changes they can bring to your life! 

Practice Self-Compassion and Self-Awareness 

Remember to be kind to yourself by taking time to appreciate your own worth.

When you are mindful of your actions, you can make a positive difference in your lives and the lives of those around you! 

So, start by treating yourself with the same kindness and understanding that you would show others!

 Create Boundaries 

 Don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself and set boundaries when needed.

Creating healthy boundaries starts with understanding your emotions and triggers – so pay attention to your feelings closely. Taking these steps can help you build healthier relationships.

Your feelings are valid and deserve to be respected, so have confidence in the boundaries you set!

By: Betsy Pownall

In the morning, I read the paper. I read about a bank imploding, gun violence, intelligence leaks, and now it is time to walk Lulu. Lulu, our 6-year-old Chocolate Lab, is an urban dog from a hunting lineage. She came into our lives the week after the 2016 Presidential Election.

We head onto the forest path beside our house and I am alert for sound and movement. Last year a doe and her fawn nested in the forest when the plums in our tree were ripe. They ate the plums by day, slept in the forest by night. 

One morning, the doe ran toward us, head down. Lulu panted, tail up, ears perched, a warning tug on the leash. I gripped the leash, and said to Lulu “stay with me, stay with me’, (salami helped). We steered a wide berth around her. The doe slowly backed up. Crisis averted.

We walk down the hill toward the easement. On either side of the easement is a fence and behind one fence is a hound, the other a dog. We are a block away and they start baying and barking. This lasts as we walk through the easement (Dog Aisle) and ceases when we are on the other side. Lulu ignores them. 

When she was a puppy I had to carry her through Dog Aisle; she was terrified, literally shaking. Now she is 70 pounds and indifferent. (Who she cares about is a tiny dog behind a big fence on another easement, who barks and digs at the fence. Lulu barks and digs back, and I have to intervene. Is it the high-pitched bark? Small dog scent? Both? I don’t know. It’s really annoying.)

We come out to a street that winds up a hill which we walk up, we will turn at the top of the hill, meander through neighborhoods, and home. 

Today there is a large flock of wild turkeys on the corner near the hills crest. Three strutting Toms are fanning their tails which are stippled with blue, red, white and black. 

Since she was a puppy Lulu and the turkeys have peacefully co-existed. Today the Toms are paying attention to her, staring and fanning them. I don’t trust it. We walk across the street and continue up the hill. 

This is the same corner where, during the 2020 McKenzie River fires, a cougar was sighted at 9 in the morning. Wildlife was driven off the mountains, confused by the smoke, the ash, and the scent of fire. 

All year there were many random sightings of bear, cougar, fox, more than normal deer and turkey. It’s partly why I carry my flashlight. It feels good having it in my hand, even though it is false security.

There are others out, we know each other as morning walkers. We wave, say a quiet ‘hello’, and nod, but never engage in conversation. There is a silent agreement~this  is a sacred time of day when we all must pay close attention to the present moment, to our surroundings, and breathe deeply.

An hour later, we return home. The newspaper folded up on the chair,  it’s time to get ready for work. My phone screen has a list of notifications from CNN, the Washington Post, and Twitter. The bank is still imploding, guns still create violence, and intelligence is still leaking. After my urban walk with Lulu, who has hunting ancestors, I feel refreshed.

By: Darcy Knight 

Mental illness, by definition, differs from everyday feelings and reactions to difficult situations. 

People who suffer from a mental illness may experience a serious disturbance in thinking, mood, or behavior. 

This may have an impact on their ability to function effectively over a long period of time. They may have a decreased ability to cope with the basic aspects of everyday life. 

Many people need help in regaining balance in their lives.

While millions of people struggle with mental health issues, it is easy to feel isolated or like there is something wrong with you.  

Did you know:

• 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year.
• 1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year.
• 1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year.
• 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 2.
• Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-14.

(Facts provided by NAMI)

Mental health issues can have a radiating impact on your body and on those around you.  Physical health can be impacted by mental health issues. 

This includes an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, respiratory issues and even cancer.  Your sleep can also be impacted, which creates a compounding impact. You experience an increase in physical and mental health issues due to not getting enough sleep, which then can result in you having more sleep issues.

Mental health issues, even less chronic ones, can have a significant impact on family and friend relationships.  When you are depressed or experiencing severe anxiety, it is difficult to focus on anything outside of your own feelings at that moment, leaving little bandwidth to invest energy in the relationships with those around you.  In a family, it can cause stress, tension and worry as well as the focus of the family becoming centered on the identified patient. 

This is challenging for family members as well as not being an ideal situation for the person struggling.

Next Steps

It is helpful to familiarize yourself with the common signs of mental illness.  Although each condition is different, there are common signs to watch for, such as feeling excessively sad or low, confused thinking or problems concentrating and learning, extreme mood changes, including uncontrollable “highs” or feelings of euphoria, prolonged feelings of irritability or anger, and avoiding friends and social activities. 

In kids the signs might include changes in school performance, excessive worry or anxiety,  hyperactive behavior, frequent nightmares, frequent disobedience or aggression, or frequent temper tantrums.  

You can find a comprehensive list of signs and symptoms on NAMI’s website. 

Recovery and relief from many mental health issues is possible. Proper diagnosis, therapy, medication if needed (including some new approaches that have shown promise for treatment- resistant depression, such as Spravato and Psilocybin), healthy habits, and self-care can all help to get you on the path towards feeling better.  

Engaging in positive habits can help anyone feel better both emotionally and physically. Here are some suggestions for getting yourself and your loved ones on the healthiest path that you can.

• Be physically active on a daily basis.  Go for a walk with a friend or with your dog, do yoga, go for a bike ride, take the stairs, dance. You can fit multiple short periods of exercise in throughout your day.
• Eat healthy foods. Healthy food gives your body the fuel it needs to heal.  Eat the rainbow, get enough protein, limit sugar, and try to eat everything in moderation.
• Sleep! A deficiency in sleep is linked to many chronic health problems as well as to depression. When you sleep, it is your brain and body’s time to grow and heal.
• Limit substance use, including alcohol. You can weigh the risks vs. rewards of moderate alcohol use.  But heavy use does not have any benefits and contributes to a number of health issues.
• Engage with your support system. This is your psychological first aid.  A hug. Someone to talk to.  Someone who cares about you.  Connection is vitally important to emotional well-being. Friends, family (for some), your job, your activities, social events, Etc. Go do whatever it is that makes you feel connected to others. Even just acknowledging a stranger as they walk by has been found to have a positive impact on feelings of connection.
• Focus on gratitude. This is associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive, enjoy good experiences, improve health, and build relationships.

All of these habits can help you be more healthy in your everyday life.  But while they might help, they are not a cure for mental illness. 

 If you or a loved one is struggling, please ask for help. You are not alone.

Resources

Mayo Clinic 

NAMI

988–Suicide and Crisis Hotline

Gratitude Research by Harvard Health

The Sweet Danger of Sugar by Harvard Health

Alcohol Use: Weighing Risks and Benefits

The Benefits of Eating the Rainbow

Connection with Social Supports

 

By: Tanya Kramer

It was not that long ago that we did not have cell phones, no one had an email address, and the internet was just a dream in someone’s brain.

For those that may not remember or were not even born yet, the internet was “born” on January 1, 1983.

The birth of email is a bit more involved. Technically it started in 1969 when the US Department of Defense started connecting its computers and using a messaging process. 

I can say from my own experience, email started to feel like a real thing around 1994.  

You might be surprised (at least I was) that the first video game was invented in 1958.  It was a simple tennis game similar to the 1970’s favorite Pong. 

But here we are with computers in our pocket, including as many games as we can make time for, and various messaging platforms which provide the ability for others to reach us literally 24/7. 

There are benefits that come with this technology, but there is also harm if we are not careful.

Here are some simple red flags that demonstrate you might have crossed the gray line between using this technology in a healthy way or resulting in using it to a degree that might be harming you.

• Feel stressed when you can’t find your phone.
• Check your phone every few minutes.
• Feel depressed, lonely, or angry after spending time on social media or the internet.
• Preoccupied with responses on social media.
• Feeling distracted by your phone when you are doing work, school, or some other tasks.
• Noticing you are not moving your body as much as you used to due to time on your phone.
• Checking emails first thing in the morning when you wake up.
• Physical pain and strain of the eyes.
• Not sleeping well.
• Fear of missing out (FOMO).

There is a BIG push for all of us to find ways to limit our use of screens. 

There is even a designated Screen Free Week which this year was May 1-7, 2023. 

Benefits you could experience by taking a phone vacation

• Being more in the moment.
• Improved sleep.
• Deepened connections – the ones that are face to face.
• Less eye strain.
• Feeling calmer and happier.
• Increased self worth.
• Less stress.

If you are not ready to take a full vacation from your phone, then try some of these simple tips first. 

1. Consider deleting specific apps that simply are not bringing you happiness.
2. Moving some apps from the front page (easily accessible) to another page, creating a few more steps (this actually works).
3. Put your phone down during lunch and talk to a coworker or read a book.
4. Monitor your screen time and give yourself a specific allowance.
5. Use the do not disturb setting on your phone.
6. If you work at a computer all day, designate time away from the computer or screen. 
7. Replace digital habits with healthy habits such as exercise or meditation. 

Taking a real vacation from your phone will likely require you to practice taking short breaks from your phone first, maybe on a Saturday morning.  

Then when you are ready to take a full day or more, there might be key people you need to notify so they don’t worry about you. 

But after that, put your phone down, slow down, and see where your focus goes.  You might find you have the energy or desire to work on a project or explore a new place that you have not made time for before.

By: Tanya Kramer

This month was established to honor and acknowledge the contributions of past and current older persons in our country. 

Older Americans Month (initially called Senior Citizen’s Month) was established after a meeting in April 1963 between President John F. Kennedy and the members of the National Council of Senior Citizens. 

This time of recognition has transitioned from acknowledging older persons while also recommitting to our work to empower older adults, which allows them to live a life of quality which in some cases means supporting their ability to be independent

The 2023 theme for this year is “Aging Unbound” which offers an opportunity to explore diverse aging experiences and discuss how communities can combat stereotypes. 

When thinking about how to engage with an older American in celebration of this month, take into consideration their interest(s) and give them an experience that they have been wanting but maybe have not made time for themself to enjoy. 

You could also set up to meet with them to ask them questions about their life and see if they are open to being audio or video recorded.

I have a precious audio tape of my grandmother, who passed away over 25 years ago and a videotape of my mom and dad (my dad passed away in 2015). 

These opportunities taught me about their history and what they experienced in their lives, which was very humbling.

Another honoring approach is to bring the party or activity to them if they have physical or medical limitations. 

If someone used to love to travel, then set time aside to watch a documentary about a specific country, read books about it together, and consider making food that represents that country. 

The most important thing you can do is spend quality time with the older adults in your life as they are wise, and this is precious time.

For older adults who want to engage in life in a new way, volunteering can be both beneficial for your mental and physical health. It is also a way to support others who might have limitations. Article Source

11 Volunteer Opportunities for Older Adults

1. Senior corps (adults ages 55 or older) – includes opportunities such as visiting other older adults or mentoring students.
2. Local or national charities – Habitat for Humanity, Feeding America, Alzheimer’s Association, etc.
3. Local, state, and national parks – invasive plant removal, tour guide, camp host, along with other options depending on location.
4. Food delivery services – Meals on Wheels or local nonprofits.
5. Animal shelters – giving love and attention to animals so they can increase their chance of being adopted
6. Foster grandparent programs – a meaningful opportunity to connect and support children in need in your area.
7. Community gardens – teaching, maintaining, sharing resources, and the benefit of a bountiful harvest to share with others.
8. Local school support and training – local schools often are looking for extra support in class, during activities, lunchtime, or chaperoning trips
9. Mentoring or training young professionals – such as Big and Mini or Career Village who match older adults with young adults who have similar interests, hobbies, or professional aspirations in person or online.
10. Ideas for older adults with low mobility – participate in GetSetUp which is a platform that provides educational courses led by volunteers which benefit those with low mobility

Providing companionship at your local hospice agency – companionship, creating comfort items, clerical support, welcoming visitors, etc.

Are you feeling overwhelmed and exhausted by your job? Do you need help feeling motivated or enthusiastic about the work you do? It could be that you’re experiencing burnout.  

Burnout can occur when you feel like you’re stuck in an endless cycle of stress and exhaustion without any relief.  

 And while it’s important to show dedication to your work or other commitments, ensuring you’re taking care of yourself is also essential. So it’s important to pay attention and take action if you are in danger of burnout. 

Read on to find out more about burnout and how to manage it!

Constant Fatigue and Exhaustion

If you’re having difficulty concentrating or making decisions, or if your emotions are running high and are difficult to manage, this could be a sign of emotional exhaustion.

This is one of the most common signs of burnout. If you’re feeling constantly overwhelmed, exhausted, and drained, it’s time to take a step back and reevaluate your situation. This could be a sign that you’re pushing yourself too hard and it’s time for a break.

Loss of Motivation and Enthusiasm

Another common sign of burnout is a loss of interest in activities that used to bring you joy. 

You may find that you’re no longer as interested in hobbies or social activities that you used to enjoy. 

If you lack interest, take time to do something that brings you joy, such as reading a book, getting a massage, or taking a walk. It’s also important to engage with friends and family. Spending time with those who make you feel supported can be incredibly beneficial in helping to fight off burnout. 

Frustration and Other Negative Emotions

It’s normal to feel frustrated or cynical when things seem to be out of your control. But if you’re feeling like this all the time, it may be a sign that something else is going on. 

It’s essential to take the time to identify the cause of your negative emotions and make necessary changes that can help you manage your burnout and prevent it from getting worse. 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your work, take time to make changes to manage your stress. If you’re feeling stuck in a rut, take some time to try something new or adjust your routine.

Are you constantly feeling the need to control every aspect of your life? 

It’s natural to want to be in the know and in charge, but trying to do so can lead to negative emotions if things don’t go the way you planned. 

On the flip side, letting go of the reins can be a challenge, but it can bring inner peace, freedom, and joy. So, why not give up control and increase your happiness? 

In this blog, you will see how letting go of control can help you break the control cycle and find true happiness.  

You Will Feel Calm And Relaxed

Trying to control every little detail can be an overwhelming experience. So why not try surrendering and incorporating practices that help you feel relaxed and calm? 

This could mean taking a few minutes each day to meditate or simply taking a walk in nature and enjoying the outdoors. Taking the time to relax and unwind can help to reduce stress and anxiety and can help to improve your overall well-being.

The next time you feel the urge to control everything, take a deep breath and let it go. You may just find that you feel better! 

You Will Be Prepared for Anything

If you want to live a stress-free life, it’s important to let go of the need for certain outcomes. Rather than trying to control the situation, try to simply accept whatever life throws your way. 

By letting go, you are allowing yourself to go with the flow. This way, you won’t be disappointed if something doesn’t turn out the way you expected, and you won’t be overly attached to the outcome.

You Will Create More Meaningful Connections

When you try to control every aspect of your life, it can lead to being overly critical of yourself and everyone else. 

However, when you let go of that need to control, you can start to form deeper connections with those around us. This is because you’re no longer tying your love and acceptance to others.

Allowing others to simply be who they are, without your interference, and not expecting a particular outcome from every situation will allow you to love more openly.  

How often do you lean into your strengths? It’s time to tap into your potential and embrace the strengths you possess. Everyone has areas they excel, but the first step to fully accepting your strengths is by taking notice. of them. That’s how you can turn your strengths into superpowers.  Using self-awareness to your advantage allows you to pursue the opportunities you want out of life. You may even have strengths and talents that are waiting to be developed even further.  Here are some ways to keep the momentum up and recognize your power. 

Define Your Strengths

When you think about your strengths, what qualities come to mind? You may be a great listener, a wonderful cook, have an eye for design, or are a calming presence. There are no limits to your strengths – that’s why accepting them is so important. It’s your strengths that are a motivating force to achieve the goals you set for yourself. 

Put Your Heart In It

When your “heart is in” something, that means you’re putting your all into it.  When you utilize your strengths in different scenarios, it can be beneficial for a positive outcome. It’s with energy, confidence, and enthusiasm that you can take it to the next level.

So that job position you want or the project you’re hoping to finish can all come together when you play to your strengths.

Let Yourself Grow

Giving yourself the room to learn and grow can help to strengthen the skills you excel at.  After all, the more you practice your skills, the more you develop them. That comes by allowing yourself to try new things and being open to new possibilities.

Even if there is a skill you want to improve on, it can become your strength. When you put your mind to it, anything can happen.

By: Amalia Coxe-Trieger  

This is the first in a multi-part series looking critically at weight loss, dieting, and the cultural, social, political, and economic landscapes that have shaped our ideas about weight and bodies.

I write this from my perspective as a multi racial women, who experiences chronic health issues, and who has benefitted from the privileges of a thin body, and a white passing body, among others. I am indebted to the many pioneers of the fat acceptance and body neutrality movements, with particular gratitude for the Black and Trans women, and others holding marginalized identities who have incubated, enlivened, and sustained this work, often at great personal and professional risk. Thank you.

The Big Fat Lie

Would you sign up for swimming lessons if 90% of the class failed to learn to swim? You’d probably, and correctly, conclude that there is something wrong with the method of teaching.

Let’s say you did sign up for the lessons, because all your friends were signing up, and when you got to the pool, there wasn’t any water in it. You practiced holding your breath, and moving your arms, and sitting on the edge of the empty pool kicking your legs, but at the end of 10 weeks, like most of the other students, you hadn’t learned to swim. Would you blame yourself?

I hope the answer is an obvious “no”. How can you reasonably be expected to swim without water? What I’m describing with the swimming analogy is the trick the weight loss industry uses to convince people to buy into an idea or product that mostly fails, and to blame themselves when that inevitable failure occurs. And it’s incredibly effective. According to Business Wire, the global weight management market was worth $470 billion in 2021.

They use a lot of that money to convince people that losing weight and keeping it off is not only attainable, but will make them happier, healthier, and more successful.  The research simply does not support this. Studies have shown for decades that the failure rate of intentional weight loss attempts is high, with some estimates as high as 95%. Here is a link with more information, and cited sources for the studies that have documented this astounding failure rate.

When you start looking closely at the research conducted on weight loss, you’ll see the same basic failure to meet even the baseline requirements for sound methodology, and the same conflicts of interest over and over again.

The most common pattern in intentional weight loss is that people lose weight initially, (the greatest amount of weight losses are typically around the 6 month mark), and gain it back within 2- 5 years. Yet many studies claiming to show “long term weight loss” end before the two year mark.

There is also the issue of research findings that completely ignore the number of study participants who drop out of weight loss trials, which is high. These tend to be people who aren’t “successful” at losing weight, and therefore, if included in the study results would decrease the success rate of the treatment.

Most weight-loss studies don’t include control groups of non-dieters for comparison, and these studies are generally based on self-reports of weight, which tend to overestimate weight lost.

A remarkable number of this misleading research is tied to the pharmaceutical industry and companies that have a vested interest in selling weight loss programs and products. This is just a brief dip into this topic.

Validity of claims made in weight management research: a narrative review of dietetic articles

If dieting and other weight loss interventions worked, the industry wouldn’t be growing at the rate it is. Rather, the diet industry would be obsolete because everyone would be thin, especially Oprah! Reagan Chastain, a researcher, writer, and multi- certified health & fitness pro, puts it this way-

“The industry is based on a repeat business model, in which they take credit for the first part of the biological response to attempted weight loss (where people lose a little weight short-term) and then they get us to blame ourselves (and get everyone else to blame us) for the second part of the biological response (where we gain the weight back, often plus more.)”

So is there any good news to be gleaned from the abysmal failure of dieting and weight loss? Yes! All of this is helpful information to have if we hope to create a world where all bodies are valued, cared for, and treated with respect. In the following parts of this series we’ll explore why weight is not a good barometer of health, and why higher weight bodies are neither dangerous, in need of “fixing”, or a “drain on the system”. We’ll also look at the deeply racist history of dieting and the Western thin ideal. Stay tuned!

Further reading & resources:

Fearing the Black Body:  The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia by Sabrina Strings

Belly Of The Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness, by Da’shaun Harrison

Anti-Diet: Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-Being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating by Christy Harrison  (this author has a great newsletter and podcast as well)

Weight and Healthcare Newsletter

 

 

November 20th marks Transgender Day of Remembrance, a time to commemorate those in the transgender community who have faced stigma and discrimination.

This day first started in 1999 as a time to honor the life of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was killed. Advocate Gwendolyn Anne Smith held a vigil to memorialize her, which began an important tradition that continues to this day.

Now Transgender Day of Remembrance signifies a time to come together and remember the transgender people who have lost their lives due to violence.

We can offer our support, understanding and compassion to those who continue to struggle to live their truth. By doing our part to educate ourselves and advocate for transgender rights, we can work to make a difference. 

On this day, we can also participate by attending vigils or events in our area, listening to stories told by transgender voices, and donating to charities that support those in the LGBTQ+ community. 

To learn more, check out the resources below. 

Transgender Resources

Tips For Allies of Transgender People

Transgender Day of Remembrance Resources