Similar Posts
Sharing – Kindness Is Action
Kindness matters, and kids who see kindness not just directed at them, but acts of kindness that they witness second-hand, have fewer signs of anxiety and other issues.
But, as in most things, some groups are much more likely to see kindness and support directed at them, while others, especially minority and LGBTQ kids generally don’t see kindness around them as often.
Seems to me that is a simple fix for this. Work at being kind to everyone. It clearly matters to kids, and even though this study doesn’t show it, I would bet it matters to adults as well!
Sharing – Talking Openly About Anxiety
I recently had a conversation with someone dealing with anxiety and trying to learn more about it. She desperately needs to know that what she’s experiencing is something that many other people are going through and have gone through. So, I’ve told her about my anxiety. I’ve told her about the times my brain just won’t turn off, and my heart beats faster for no apparent reason at all. I’ve told her about the days when I struggle to remember things because my mind is racing so fast it doesn’t process things I just heard.
My wife has been there for those conversations. She’s heard me talk about things I’ve not really told her because I don’t want her to worry. Does she worry now? Maybe. Does it really matter to me?
Yes, it does. I don’t want her to worry, but I’ll trade that for letting someone we both care about know that they are not alone. This is why we need to talk about it. No one should feel alone and ashamed about any mental health issues they may be having. There are just too many others having the same ones for there to be room for judgment instead of support.
Links I’m Sharing (weekly)
Be aware of child abuse: Reports are down because of pandemic isolation How the U.S. Made it a Crime to Have Mental Illness Why do we consider vulnerability a weakness? Beyond the language of denial: Men talk mental health in Ghana Best Support is to Validate Concerns of Stressed-Out Friends Living With Chronic Illness, Pain,…
Sharing – One Conversation At a Time, We Continue
On the heels of more tragedy over the holiday weekend in the US, this is such a great reminder.
“One of the messages we emphasize most at Active Minds is that you don’t have to be an expert to help. There are ways to support those around you that are coping with the struggles from either directly experiencing the ills of this world or from the pain caused by seeing others experience them. And, those around you don’t have to be experts to help you, either. Through empathetic and compassionate conversations, partnered with purposeful and tangible actions, we can be part of the solution to our broken world for our families, our communities, and – therefore – our nation. We can’t fix all the problems in this world for everyone, but we can control how we show up for those around us with our voices, our words, and our actions.”
