I write this a little bit late. But I think that good mental health is when you can smile looking at the tiny small funny things. Thank you for this question!
Your friend is a gem, Julie! I love the stuckness image.
I really abhor social media and, now, AI. Even for information the sources are unreliable sound bytes to me. I can see value in connecting over distance when you have "circles" within your social media as the curated groups are good tools.
I love the letters or cards I receive. I love the phone calls. I love when someone notices I missed a class at the Y. I love when a neighbor tells me it's good to see me. I enjoy the class reunions and the family reunions. The ability to connect to people with shared stories and history; the ability to connect with people through shared interests - all IN PERSON - makes my day. The small touch of someone's hand in saying hello; the eye contact - I feel seen and valued. These things will not solve mental health issues though I believe they can do much to support people on the edges of mental health issues.
We can all be part of someone's story when we insert ourselves into their lives by chance or my choice and that's how we bring the taboos to the light and lighten the load of others.
Peace of mind, body and spirit. A calmness. Understanding and compassion not only for others but yourself as well. A foundation for good mental health.
Hi Julie! When I read your response, I couldn’t answer you. Today I can. I believe it’s much harder to have compassion for ourselves. We (women), are much harder on ourselves than we would ever be to stranger/friend. The negative self talk is usually in the background of our minds. I’m learning to give myself MUCH more grace.
These are great measurements of how we’re doing, and still, many days are just hard. Like underground rivers, grief and anxiety often trickle deep beneath the surface of engagement and creativity and even joy. I find that doing kindnesses for others helps bring me out of the inertia. Finding balance is my goal.
thanks Beth. Love the underground river analogy. doing kindness for others has been my go-to for years. i don't know that I can measure how it helps me in the long term but it can get me to a better place that DAY.
You hit many of the relevant "metrics" I would note. Are you engaging... staying connected with friends and family, having good sleep and eating hygiene, taking care of the basics (sounds pretty simple but I have seen family members when they are depressed they aren't showering, getting dressed, brushing their teeth)- I would say those are mental health neutral. To thrive, are you finding moments when you experience flow, feeling your sense of purpose and meaning? Are you curious and in a growth state? Are you laughing? Are you waking up with zest for your day?
Thanks for these examples, Kristen. This past night/morning I couldn't sleep from about 4:30-6:30 am. I was frustrated, tossed and turned, tried to count backwards from 800 by sevens, etc. Finally I decided to just GET UP. It's the earliest I've been up in over a year. My body and mind had a 'let's do this' vibe going on. I wondered, is this a sign that I'm shifting to a new and more manageable phase of my grief?
That's a great curiosity. Grief takes so many twists and turns. It almost reminds me of a burn scar area from a forest fire. The area is raw and dormant for a while, and then, you see a small speck of green where new life is emerging... it's quite remarkable and so are we as humans.
Thank you for amplifying Mental Health this month. We're currently supporting a relative who is struggling and it is very difficult to find accessible, affordable wrap around care here in Palo Alto. There has been a dramatic spike in mental illness since COVID. Is it widely known and publicized that heavy marijuana use induces psychosis? Those without the resources to private pay for great care are at the mercy of our failing systems. Thank goodness for NAMI-Santa Clara and NAMI-San Mateo! A shout out to Heart & Soul in San Mateo County. Bravo to the excellent education and training for caregivers at U of Washington's Psychosis REACH program (in collaboration with Stanford and others). Sending gratitude to brilliant, inspiring people like Donovan who support, educate and inspire us - and you too Julie! Let's take care of our struggling community - during these heartbreakingly challenging political times, the stress on our mental health is further amplified.
Oh goodness I'm so sorry your relative is struggling. That's gotta be so hard for them - and for you, too, as loved ones. Times are really tough right now for so many with... everything... Thanks for the shoutouts to the do-gooders in our region Deborah!
“Today May not be bad,”. 😅🙏❤️
This may become my morning mantra.
amen sister. here's to that being true today for you and me both and for anyone else reading this ♥️
I write this a little bit late. But I think that good mental health is when you can smile looking at the tiny small funny things. Thank you for this question!
that's such a good indicator Yoko ♥️
Your friend is a gem, Julie! I love the stuckness image.
I really abhor social media and, now, AI. Even for information the sources are unreliable sound bytes to me. I can see value in connecting over distance when you have "circles" within your social media as the curated groups are good tools.
I love the letters or cards I receive. I love the phone calls. I love when someone notices I missed a class at the Y. I love when a neighbor tells me it's good to see me. I enjoy the class reunions and the family reunions. The ability to connect to people with shared stories and history; the ability to connect with people through shared interests - all IN PERSON - makes my day. The small touch of someone's hand in saying hello; the eye contact - I feel seen and valued. These things will not solve mental health issues though I believe they can do much to support people on the edges of mental health issues.
We can all be part of someone's story when we insert ourselves into their lives by chance or my choice and that's how we bring the taboos to the light and lighten the load of others.
showing up. eye contact. small touch of a hand. feeling "seen" in these ways definitely helps improve our mental health. thanks for sharing Mary!
Peace of mind, body and spirit. A calmness. Understanding and compassion not only for others but yourself as well. A foundation for good mental health.
nice Catherine. what's harder - having compassion and understanding for truly difficult others, or for ourselves?
Hi Julie! When I read your response, I couldn’t answer you. Today I can. I believe it’s much harder to have compassion for ourselves. We (women), are much harder on ourselves than we would ever be to stranger/friend. The negative self talk is usually in the background of our minds. I’m learning to give myself MUCH more grace.
These are great measurements of how we’re doing, and still, many days are just hard. Like underground rivers, grief and anxiety often trickle deep beneath the surface of engagement and creativity and even joy. I find that doing kindnesses for others helps bring me out of the inertia. Finding balance is my goal.
thanks Beth. Love the underground river analogy. doing kindness for others has been my go-to for years. i don't know that I can measure how it helps me in the long term but it can get me to a better place that DAY.
You hit many of the relevant "metrics" I would note. Are you engaging... staying connected with friends and family, having good sleep and eating hygiene, taking care of the basics (sounds pretty simple but I have seen family members when they are depressed they aren't showering, getting dressed, brushing their teeth)- I would say those are mental health neutral. To thrive, are you finding moments when you experience flow, feeling your sense of purpose and meaning? Are you curious and in a growth state? Are you laughing? Are you waking up with zest for your day?
Thanks for these examples, Kristen. This past night/morning I couldn't sleep from about 4:30-6:30 am. I was frustrated, tossed and turned, tried to count backwards from 800 by sevens, etc. Finally I decided to just GET UP. It's the earliest I've been up in over a year. My body and mind had a 'let's do this' vibe going on. I wondered, is this a sign that I'm shifting to a new and more manageable phase of my grief?
That's a great curiosity. Grief takes so many twists and turns. It almost reminds me of a burn scar area from a forest fire. The area is raw and dormant for a while, and then, you see a small speck of green where new life is emerging... it's quite remarkable and so are we as humans.
i love that imagery, thank you.
Thank you for amplifying Mental Health this month. We're currently supporting a relative who is struggling and it is very difficult to find accessible, affordable wrap around care here in Palo Alto. There has been a dramatic spike in mental illness since COVID. Is it widely known and publicized that heavy marijuana use induces psychosis? Those without the resources to private pay for great care are at the mercy of our failing systems. Thank goodness for NAMI-Santa Clara and NAMI-San Mateo! A shout out to Heart & Soul in San Mateo County. Bravo to the excellent education and training for caregivers at U of Washington's Psychosis REACH program (in collaboration with Stanford and others). Sending gratitude to brilliant, inspiring people like Donovan who support, educate and inspire us - and you too Julie! Let's take care of our struggling community - during these heartbreakingly challenging political times, the stress on our mental health is further amplified.
Oh goodness I'm so sorry your relative is struggling. That's gotta be so hard for them - and for you, too, as loved ones. Times are really tough right now for so many with... everything... Thanks for the shoutouts to the do-gooders in our region Deborah!