Mental Health - Let's Talk

Here we are, once again and even though the dynamics of how Bell Let's Talk Day work, I am still inclined to say something. And I have been pushing myself to re-invigorate my blog, so today seems as good a day as any to do so! The fact of the matter in Mental Health is still important. Mental Illness still carries a stigma. Mental Illness affects more people than you would suspect. The statistics from Bell today made my stomach turn. Here they are:

• More than 200 Canadians will attempt suicide every day; twelve will die
• 56% of people struggling in this country are not getting the help they need
• One in four Canadians have been experiencing high levels of anxiety
• The number of opioid overdose deaths in Canada went up more than 90% during the pandemic. It's now 20 per day

Anyone who lives anywhere in our country has no doubt seen the effects of the opioid crisis. One of my favourite speakers/authors, Dr. Jody Carrington has been flagging this through covid and continues to talk about it in her book Feeling Seen #feelingseen that there is a Mental Health crisis upon us and she's not wrong. We need to acknowledge and we need to look for solutions to the bigger problems. Sometimes all we can manage is one small step at home, though and that is 100% ok. Suggestions on the Bell Let's Talk page for what we can all do to help this year are:

• Choose a mental health organization to learn about or support
• Help a friend struggling with their mental health by learning how to support them
• Ask about how your school, workplace or community is creating change for mental health
• Nurture your own well-being by practicing and learning mental health strategies
• Get involved in a mental health initiative or organize an event to support mental health
• Engage in conversations about mental health to fight stigma

H, N and E are my favourites, but they are all relevant. But let's go through why H, N and E are my favourites.

H – Help a friend

Just this past week, I happened to be randomly going through my old photo albums and I sent some of my pictures to some of my friends and family that were in them just for the fun of reliving some old memories. Everyone replied appreciatively and 3 of the ones I sent them to told me how they had a really tough day or were in a tough place and my text helped give them some light in the darkness. Honestly, it all starts with a little kindness and empathy. We are all capable of it, so, let's just do it. If you know someone is struggling, don't expect them to reach out for help. Speaking from experience, I can tell you that in my darkest hours, the last thing I was willing or able to do, was reach out. That said, those who reached out to me proactively in those times are some of the people that I hold nearest and dearest to my heart as they saw me when I didn't want to be seen and I was lost in some very ugly stuff, so I couldn't proactively request assistance. Just do it. I challenge you – send 3 texts to 3 friends TODAY. Ask how they are, send them a funny meme or just tell them you are thinking of them. You will probably get into a conversation you enjoy and you have no idea how much it may mean to someone on the receiving end.

N – Nurture your own well-being

This is SO important to do proactively, because often when we get into a spiral, we aren't able to remember what we need to do or access those much-needed coping skills. Some of the ways I nurture myself are time alone – I used to despise myself and therefore couldn’t stand being alone, but since I have learned to love myself, I adore time alone. Let me drink some coffee and read a book, be in my yard having a coffee or a wine enjoying the sights and sounds of summer, mindlessly scrolling TikToks of funny animals and crazy married couples or you might see me at a spa by myself getting a facial and a pedicure. Also, journaling. I have a love/hate relationship with it and quite frankly, often my blog is that outlet for me as opposed to my journal, but the important thing is to right stuff down. Get it out on paper or on screen so that it has a little less impact on the inside of you. Meditation – I don't do it as often as I should, but there are thousands of meditations for free on YouTube. Or you can download guided meditations on whatever music app you listen to. There are also apps like Calm and Headspace, but I hate paying for "one more thing", so I prefer YouTube for the free part. Do anything that makes you feel better in any moment – pet your dog, ride a horse, watch a sunset, do some physical activity you enjoy. But take YOU time and for heaven's sake DO NOT feel guilty about it.

E – Engage in conversations about mental health to fight stigma

This one is important to me. One of Dr. Jody's quotes is: When you are acknowledged, you will rise. This speaks to mental health, to marginalization, to generational trauma and so many other things. We need to, as a society, spend more time acknowledging and accepting. I feel like I can do this in small steps or big steps and how you contribute is up to you. I just ask that you do. Because if you are someone who has read this far, you are invested enough in my journey or my thoughts on mental health to help me try to make a difference. Allow people to talk about mental health without questioning if they are making it up. Talk to your friends about mental health and how you can support those that have struggles with illness. Openly speak up in support of initiatives that help bring light to the problems and stigma.

Thanks for sticking with me this far. Frankly, if you are reading, you have probably stuck with me a lot longer than this blog. So, thanks for that as well. Remember my challenge to reach out to 3 people. And Let's Talk every day.