Tag Archives: self-care

When It’s Not Most Wonderful Time of the Year

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Come November and we begin to hear Andy Williams song, “It’s most the wonderful time of the year.” Except it isn’t. For so many, the holiday season engenders feelings of loneliness and stress. Less love, holiday parties, and family gatherings and more debt, family drama, and grief and loss. And more focus on who and what is missing and all that is wrong rather than the joy of the holiday season and all that is right. Ever felt this way? If so, it could be the holiday blues. Got a Case of the Holiday Blues? The holiday blues is a […]

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Changing the Conversation Around Mental Health & Mental Illness

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Mental Health Awareness Month As the last day of May quickly approaches, bringing with it an end to Mental Health Awareness month, I have been reflecting on what we need to do to promote positive mental health and destigmatize mental illness in this country. We need to incorporate mental health into the fabric of our lives, improve access to preventative mental health services and treatment, and eliminate stigma. Distinguishing Mental Health and Mental Illness Mental health and mental illness, terms often used interchangeably, are quite different. We ALL have mental health, and we must all nurture, cultivate, and protect it. […]

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A Soundtrack for Social Justice

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A tenuous verdict On April 20, 2021 twelve jurors declared Derek Chauvin Guilty on three charges – 2nd degree murder, 3rd degree murder, and manslaughter. Such a verdict is unheard of, evidence of true justice in the very public death and modern-day lynching of George Floyd and unequivocal accountability for law enforcement. But only this time. The collective sigh that black people around the country painfully exhaled was quickly met with renewed heartache at the shooting death of 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant by a Columbus, Ohio police. During the three-week murder trial, “at least 64 people have died at the hands […]

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Whose Making Self-Care Goals for 2021?

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Irrespective of your age, race, gender, socioeconomic status, or political persuasion, 2020 was a year like no other. We cried, celebrated differently, many quarantined, some vaccinated, lost jobs, created businesses, gave birth, buried loved ones, traveled less, and zoomed more. The life we once lived became unrecognizable. Whether 2020 was overwhelmingly difficult, filled with pockets of unexpected joy and blessings, or somewhere in between, we all bear its scars. As we determine how best to move forward, perhaps crafting a “fresh start” or merely dragging ourselves out of the quicksand, I implore you to make your mental health and wellness a priority in 2021. Like, for real! No […]

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