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DAISY | Creative Mental Wellness

April 2024 Newsletter

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April

April is National Stress Awareness Month and National Minority Health Month
April 2nd is Autism Awareness Day
April 7th is World Health Day.
April 12th is the Day of (No) Silence.

Stress Survival Guide  

How to cope with stress

April is appropriately deemed the National Stress Awareness Month… taxes, end of the semester approaching, allergies. We’re not going to tell you not to stress about these things -stress is a part of life and manageable stress can even be beneficial for your health. We are going to tell you some ways to help cope with and reduce the effects of your stress.

Physical health is a big part of managing stress, from exercise to nutrition and sleep. Physical activity is our number one recommendation for stress management! Especially if you can pair exercise with nature. Taking a walk around a park, roller skating at a skate park, hiking, and doing yoga in your backyard are all great examples of how to pair exercise with nature to help produce “happy hormones” and reduce the feelings of stress on your body. There are other ways to get moving though – dancing, cleaning, playing tag, and numerous other activities are great for your physical and mental wellbeing. Eating enough nutrient-rich foods is also important; without enough of the right nutrients, our bodies struggle to handle stress. Fiber has been shown to be incredibly important in maintaining gut health, which in turn helps take care of our brain’s health! Leafy greens, fruits and vegetables are great sources of fiber and should be incorporated into your diet when possible. Your diet is vital for your physical and mental health. Sleep is also very important, because our bodies use sleep to maintain our brains, immune systems, and memories. Getting enough sleep (typically 7-9 hours are recommended) and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule can be beneficial for your mental health and ability to manage stress. Your physical health is one of the most important factors in coping with stress.

DAISY’s Reading

The Cuckoo’s Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage by Clifford Stoll

The Cuckoo’s Egg is about an astronomer (Cliff Stoll) working as a systems manager at Lawrence Berkley Lab who finds an unwelcome visitor on Lawrence’s computer systems. With some help from the CIA, FBI, and foreign intelligence agencies, he unveils the hacker and the people supporting them. 

This book is a bit of a long read but it is quite a page-turner! DAISY wanted to keep reading to find out what Stoll and the hacker would do next. A really interesting read from a time before the internet was as accessible as it is now. 

The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage by Clifford Stoll

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

Your friend,

DAISY
DAISY | Creative Mental Wellness

February 2024 Newsletter

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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,

DAISY
DAISY | Creative Mental Wellness

January 2024 Newsletter

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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. 

How to Combat Racing 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. 

exercise

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.”

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

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

Your friend,

DAISY