2024 - Page 2 of 2 - Creative Mental Wellness

February

February is International Boost Self Esteem Month, with
Random Acts of Kindness Week (Feb 11 – Feb 17) and
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (Feb 26 – March 3)

February is a great month to reconnect with our mental health practices, our friends, and nature. Despite the cold and gloom that many Americans are feeling, February can serve as a month to boost our mental wellness. As the New Year’s resolutions and accompanying excitement subside, try to practice self compassion and self care.

Connection as a Mental Health Tool

How connection to others can benefit your mental health

Humans are social animals. We need to interact with others to thrive and survive. Connecting to others can provide us with many benefits, such as:

Improving our ability to recover from stress, anxiety, and depression (ie increasing RESILIENCE). Social connection can help us cope with negative emotions, provide us with emotional support, and enhance our ability to deal with adversity. When we get to know people–and we allow them to know us–we can share our burdens and offer assistance and encouragement for navigating the travails of life. Linking ourselves to others can lead to increasing our “cheering section”; people become invested in us and can provide much-needed encouragement. This process strengthens our ability to recover from challenging times.

Promoting healthy habits and behaviors. Social connection can motivate us to eat well, exercise regularly, and maintain a healthy weight. When we know people care about us, we perceive we are valued and “seen”; feelings of worthiness can enable us to make healthy-er choices for our physical and mental health. Connecting to others can even reduce the risk of engaging in violent and suicidal behaviors.

Improving our sleep, well-being, and quality of life. Social connection can help us relax, enjoy life, and feel satisfied. It can also improve our self-esteem, confidence, and happiness. Spending time with others allows us to discuss challenges and “vent” frustrations. Having a trust-worthy outlet to express emotions–even the not-so-good ones (in a respectful way)–can prevent ruminating on them and/or an escalation of those emotions. Having a trusted “sounding board” (i.e. someone whose intentions you know are positive/”good”) gives us the opportunity to obtain feedback and gain understanding through others’ perceptions.

Reducing our risk of chronic diseases and increasing our longevity. Social connection boosts the immune system, lower blood pressure, and protects us from cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer. When we feel better emotionally, we often feel better physically, too. Experiencing connection can increase our sense of well being, which enhances our immune system and reduces inflammation in our bodies. It can also help us live longer, as people with stronger social connections are 50% more likely to survive than those with weaker connections.

DAISY’s Random Acts of Kindness

These are some ways DAISY is spreading kindness this month

Donate a book to a Little Free Library near you today!

Donating a book to a Little Free Library. DAISY finished reading Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner. She really enjoyed it, and wants others to enjoy it as well, so she found a Little Free Library near her house.

Writing a letter to a loved one. Handwritten letters can brighten up someone’s day. Could you write a letter to your best friend, a parent, or teacher?

Taking a walk with her friend. This simple act is great to get DAISY and her friend outside, and allow them time to hang out in person.

The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation has some other great ideas, and they even have a calendar with a different act of kindness every day!

Thank you for joining us on this mental health journey! Follow us Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn to stay up to date.

Your friend,

Happy New Year!

We hope 2024 is off to a good start for you all.

Racing Thoughts?

How to combat anxious thoughts and patterns

If at times you have difficulty slowing your thoughts, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!💚 Racing thoughts–relentless, fast-moving, and uncontrollable thoughts that appear one after another –at “best” are frustrating and at worst cause disruption in managing mental health symptoms and can negatively impact one’s quality of life. While racing thoughts can be a symptom of various mental health conditions, including bipolar disorder, anxiety, and depression, they can also be just an irritating annoyance. Racing thoughts can cause impediments in daily life, including difficulty concentrating, insomnia, anxiety, and stress. They can also interfere with daily life and affect an individual’s ability to function normally. But…there IS good news! Racing thoughts can be successfully managed.

To avoid racing thoughts, there are several things you can do. One of the most effective ways to manage racing thoughts is to practice mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on the present moment and observing one’s thoughts without judgment; this technique can help in becoming more aware of your thoughts and feelings and learn to control them better. Even going to a quiet place for a brief period of time be helpful. Deep breathing and focusing on something that usually makes you happy (like your child or a pet or an activity you always enjoy) is another easy-ish “tool” to use to gain control over chaotic thoughts.

One way to help prevent racing thoughts is to engage in physical exercise regularly. Exercise has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety levels and improve mood. It can also help individuals sleep better at night, which can reduce the frequency of racing thoughts.

Also, when we exercise, our bodies create chemicals (neurotransmitters) that help us feel better. If all you can do is go outside and take a walk, you can change your mood and redirect your attention and thoughts.

For persistent racing thoughts that are difficult to manage, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a method that professionals/mental health care providers can utilize to help people manage their undesirable and domineering thoughts. CBT is a type of therapy that helps individuals identify negative thought patterns and replace them with positive ones. This technique can help individuals learn to control their thoughts better and reduce the frequency of racing thoughts.

Racing thoughts–whether obsessive-compulsive thoughts, or a flight of ideas, or rumination–can vary in severity and be a challenging symptom of various mental health conditions. However, there are several things that individuals can do to manage them effectively. Practicing mindfulness meditation, engaging in physical exercise regularly, and seeking professional assistance via cognitive-behavioral therapy are all effective ways to avoid and manage racing thoughts.

What’s DAISY Reading?

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

DAISY is reading Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner. She has really enjoyed reading this memoir. Zauner is a Korean-American who lost her mom to cancer when she was younger, and she feels a particular connection to her mom, culture, and childhood through food. As a lover of food and humans, DAISY feels really moved by this book. It has made her laugh, cry in her own puppet way, and appreciate her mom a little more. Michelle Zauner is also in a band called “Japanese Breakfast.”