Your Mind Your Body http://www.yourmindyourbody.org Psychologists’ insights on healthy lifestyles and behaviors Thu, 16 May 2013 19:07:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 Mental Health Month Blog Day – Links Round Up 2013 http://www.yourmindyourbody.org/apamental-health-month-blog-day-links-round-up-2013/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=apamental-health-month-blog-day-links-round-up-2013 http://www.yourmindyourbody.org/apamental-health-month-blog-day-links-round-up-2013/#comments Wed, 15 May 2013 04:27:47 +0000 Angel Brownawell http://www.yourmindyourbody.org/?p=4022 [Read More]

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]]> Welcome to everyone who is taking part in our mental health month blog day, our 4th annual event to help recognize May as Mental Health Month. We’ll update this page and blog throughout the day, recognizing you and other writers and contributors who are blogging and sharing for mental health awareness.

Thanks for joining us! Thank you to everyone who is recognizing May as Mental Health Month. We’re excited to get out the word that mental health matters to everyone.

I'm blogging for Mental Health. May 15, 2013

Quick reminders:

  • For consideration on this list, your blog must have our 
    badge     or link back to a post on this blog (Your Mind, Your Body). Posts should have been published today, or at least written in the past week.
  • Help us find your contribution! Tag any public posts on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and other sites with #mhblogday.
  • Share, retweet and comment on blogs you’ve discovered today or that have moved you.

 

Updated as of 2:20 a.m. ET. May 16

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]]> http://www.yourmindyourbody.org/apamental-health-month-blog-day-links-round-up-2013/feed/ 16 Join Mental Health Month Blog Day Tomorrow #mhblogday http://www.yourmindyourbody.org/join-mental-health-month-blog-day-tomorrow-mhblogday/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=join-mental-health-month-blog-day-tomorrow-mhblogday http://www.yourmindyourbody.org/join-mental-health-month-blog-day-tomorrow-mhblogday/#comments Tue, 14 May 2013 22:04:46 +0000 Angel Brownawell http://www.yourmindyourbody.org/?p=4013 [Read More]

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Most popular words used in titles and posts of blogs participating in Mental Health Month Blog Day 2012.

Most popular words used in titles and posts of blogs participating in Mental Health Month Blog Day 2012.


I'm Blogging for Mental Health.The fourth annual Mental Health Month Blog Day begins tomorrow morning, and we can’t wait to read and share the many, many posts that bloggers everywhere will create, talking about why mental health matters and stigma hurts.

We’ll begin publishing a round-up of submitted links at about 11 a.m. EDT.

Our round-up blog post linking to participating blogs and their mental health blog day-dedicated posts will be updated about every two hours throughout the day until about 5 p.m. EDT. Wednesday. We’ll then take a break from blogging (because sleep is important to good mental health) and add the posts submitted overnight on Thursday morning. We’ll do our best to capture all the posts and submissions throughout the day, but let us know if you think we may have overlooked your post.

Participating is easy.

  1. Publish a blog post that incorporates mental health’s importance. Tell people why it’s important to you and why it should be important to everyone.
  2. Include a link back to yourmindyourbody.org or one of its own blog posts.
  3. Add the “I’m blogging for mental health 2013″ badge to your blog post. Add the badge by copying and pasting the HTML code.
  4. Share your blog and any blogs you discover or our round-up on posts on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, YouTube, Flickr, Pinterest, or any social networking sites you are on. Use #mhblogday as the tag.
  5. Keep returning to Your Mind, Your Body throughout the day to see what new blogs have joined the party.
  6. Find new blogs to read and bloggers to follow! Comment on their posts. Share their links. Spread the word about mental health awareness!

Happy blogging!

What are you planning to write about? Give us a sneak peek in the comments of this post.

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]]> http://www.yourmindyourbody.org/join-mental-health-month-blog-day-tomorrow-mhblogday/feed/ 0 How much news coverage is OK for children? http://www.yourmindyourbody.org/how-much-news-coverage-is-ok-for-children/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-much-news-coverage-is-ok-for-children http://www.yourmindyourbody.org/how-much-news-coverage-is-ok-for-children/#comments Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:14:46 +0000 Dr. Robin Gurwitch http://www.yourmindyourbody.org/?p=3993 [Read More]

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]]> Child watching television“Did you see…?” “Did you hear…?” “Did you know…?” These are questions that can be heard across our country and around the globe among friends and family, around water coolers and in check-out lines.” Following the tragedy in Boston, all of us have spent time listening to coverage and learning about the victims and tales of heroism. By doing so, we feel connected to Boston as this tragedy has touched us all.

As adults watch, so too do children. They are playing in a room where the TV is tuned to coverage. They hear adults talking. They may not always understand what is being said and this can increase a sense of anxiety and worry.

Older children and teens too watch and watch, gaining much of their information from the Internet and social media sites. The question is, “How much is too much?”

Following the bombing in Oklahoma City and again after the terrorist attacks on 9/11, researchers found that those children who spent most or all of their time tuned to coverage reported more symptoms related to trauma. We don’t know if watching more of the coverage makes children more anxious. Or, if those children who are already more anxious are watching more coverage.

What we do know is how important it becomes to TAKE A BREAK! Turn it off!

Talk to your children

Parents, talk to your children and teens about what they have seen and heard. Be sure there are no rumors or misunderstandings that you may need to help correct.

Adults too may be in need of taking a break from coverage. Sometimes this is easier said than done. I have a close family friend who told me, “I know I need to take a break, but I just can’t seem to turn it off. It is all so very sad.”

Turning the coverage off does not mean we feel any less sad for what has happened or that our hearts do not remain heavy as we empathize with the Boston community. But it does mean that we are taking steps to increase our resilience (and the resilience of our children) to cope in the face of difficult situations.

Tips to turn it off

 

  • Plan your TV/Internet viewing. Find time each morning and evening to watch. Limit this to 30-60 minutes. Then get up and do something else. It may be taking a walk, washing dishes, or even reading a book. If you continue to want to stay with TV/Internet, switch to another show or site that you have always enjoyed.
  • Enlist a buddy. For my friend (and those like her), I know she has friends and family near. Ask them to help you turn it off. Go out to lunch, see a movie, or just simply spend time together. With children, find time to play games, read, or other ways to enjoy being together. Laugh. It’s ok even in times of darkest grief.
  • Be mindful of your children. Very young children do not need to watch at all. Sometimes they do not understand that what they are seeing are replays or repetitions of what has happened and believe it may be happening again.
  • Find other ways to connect. Children may want to send pictures they made or letters they have written to Boston, to families, first responders, hospitals, or teachers.

Bottom line—the media keeps us informed, but we need to be sure we take care of ourselves. An important step is limiting our exposure to the coverage. There is an off button for a reason. Take control and use it.

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]]> http://www.yourmindyourbody.org/how-much-news-coverage-is-ok-for-children/feed/ 1 Lessons from the garden for your mental health http://www.yourmindyourbody.org/lessons-from-the-garden-for-your-mental-health/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=lessons-from-the-garden-for-your-mental-health http://www.yourmindyourbody.org/lessons-from-the-garden-for-your-mental-health/#comments Mon, 01 Apr 2013 21:10:42 +0000 Dr. Sandra Wartski http://www.yourmindyourbody.org/?p=3957 [Read More]

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]]> garden tending

Gardens need TLC to thrive, just like you and your health. Here are lessons that apply to both.

Much has been written about the mental health benefits of gardening and the way in which time outside can be amazingly restorative. Gardening can also serve as a metaphor for attending to mental health.  As spring approaches and as more opportunities for gardening bloom forth, consideration of the parallels can be interesting and enlightening.

Provide the basics

Plants need food, sun and a place to grow.  Humans have similar basic needs, even though we get caught up thinking we need more gadgets and more complicated wish-lists. We thrive best when we are eating properly, breathing well, getting outside and feeling safe in our homes. Attending to the basics allows us to flourish.

Create boundaries

Just as knowing where the garden begins and ends is helpful for planning bulbs and measuring for mulch, individual boundaries within our own life are critical.  Boundaries can relate to things like when work ends, if phones are answered, or how quickly emails are addressed.  Healthy borders  on interpersonal relationships are just as important, being clear to say no and to say yes to the right people at the right time.  Having some level of clarity and organization in daily life provides structure, meaning and purpose.

Appreciate the wide variety of life

Walking through a large nursery or a mature garden provides a renewed realization of just how many species of plants and flowers exist in our world. The shapes, sizes, colors and textures vary tremendously, and  all add to the beauty of a garden in the cumulative effect. Similarly, our spouses, children, co-workers, and friends all come into our life with different strengths and weaknesses. It would be boring if we all looked, thought and relaxed in the same way. Embrace the variety, including in yourself.

Manage the weeds early

Those pesky weeds can really grow out of control but are so much easier to handle if they are pulled out before they get too deeply rooted.  Similarly, in life, there are negative events and troublesome times that happen but are much easier to address if spotted early. Some people are lucky enough to have fewer weeds and others have many, but tackling them in a direct, up front way always work much better than denying, avoiding or allowing overgrowth to overwhelm.

Accept imperfection by stepping back for the larger perspective

There will be weeds that get through; tomato plants which don’t grow as tall as anticipated; and seedlings which don’t sprout–despite vigilant efforts, watering regularly, and tending with TLC.  It’s not necessary to take this personally. Step back to admire the larger perspective, notice the things going well and choose to accept with kindness the notion of variance of success in our life.

Till the soil every once in a while.

Tilling the soil in a garden helps spread around nutrients and re-energizes the soil.  Similarly, there is evidence that changing up one’s environment every once in a while is valuable.  While we humans like routines and structure, renewing our environment  by moving around  furniture, painting a wall or taking a new route to work invigorates us with some new found energy.  Although change is hard, changing it up has value.

So whether you are tackling a small balcony potted plant or acres of greenery, consider taking note of how tending the garden can inform us about attending to our bodies and our minds.  Let the blossoming begin!

Photo by M. Dolly via flickr

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]]> http://www.yourmindyourbody.org/lessons-from-the-garden-for-your-mental-health/feed/ 18 Honoring TV shows, movies that help mental health http://www.yourmindyourbody.org/honoring-tv-shows-movies-that-help-mental-health/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=honoring-tv-shows-movies-that-help-mental-health http://www.yourmindyourbody.org/honoring-tv-shows-movies-that-help-mental-health/#comments Fri, 29 Mar 2013 18:05:05 +0000 Dr. Stephanie Smith http://www.yourmindyourbody.org/?p=3946 [Read More]

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]]> The annual Voice Awards honors writers and producers of hit film and television productions for increasing awareness of mental health and substance use issues.

The annual Voice Awards honors writers and producers of hit film and television productions for increasing awareness of mental health and substance use issues.

Most people are not attending conferences, reading journals, or consulting with psychologists regularly for news and information about mental health. Where do we mostly often see and hear of mental health?  TV and movies, of course!

At first blush this may seem like a bad thing: who wants to get health advice from their favorite sitcom? Mindy Kaling may be funny, but a mental health expert she is not.  On closer look, however, we find that TV shows, movies, and other forms of media can be fantastic ways to learn about psychological health, treatment and resources.

Watching our favorite TV and movie characters cope with, and learn more about, mental illness can make the process a bit easier in our own lives.  When done well, a story line about bullying, teen suicide, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or grief can enlighten large numbers of people and provide them with hope, resources and courage to tackle their own struggles.

And that’s important for everyone because psychology and mental health are things that affect all of us.  We all have a brain, a psychological life and family and/or friends with whom we interact.  Additionally, an estimated 22 to 23 percent of the U.S. population experiences a mental disorder in any given year.

Nominate a Deserving TV Show, Movie for a Voice Award

Luckily, we have a way to recognize the outstanding work done by programs and movies that highlight mental health issues in positive, informative ways.  Every year the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Voice Awards program recognizes consumer/peer leaders and TV and film professionals who educate the public about the real experiences of people with behavioral health problems.  They are accepting nominations through March 29  for your favorite TV and movies.

Photo by SAMHSA via flickr

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