NatNews

In recent years, there has been an increase in mental health conditions worldwide, resulting in an even greater need for raising awareness and understanding. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in every five adults in the U.S. experiences mental illness each year, yet 55 percent of adults with mental illness (more than 28 million individuals) don’t receive any treatment.

However, through personal narratives (such as from professional athletes like Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka, and Kevin Love), there have been more concerted efforts to reduce the stigma and shift the conversation and awareness of mental health in a positive direction. People now have more access to resources and information given on social media, in podcasts, and from clinical research (often available online). Dallas resident Amanda Sherman, a licensed professional counselor, said she believes it is absolutely necessary for individuals to prioritize their mental health.

“Taking care of your mental health and emotional well-being is so important,” she said. “The more we regularly invest in our mental health, the better we feel, and the better we function.”

Dallas-area resident and elementary school counselor Mackenzie Purvine also stressed the need for individuals to focus on their mental health

“People should always do so, as one takes care of his or her physical health,” she said. “Just like a person’s quality of life can improve if you take care of yourself physically, the same goes for mental and emotional health.”

How a person makes his or her mental health a priority won’t necessarily look the same for everyone, but Sherman offered some suggestions of healthy ways people can do so.

“This can be done by establishing and maintaining healthy boundaries (with work, our family/friends, and everyday activities), finding ways to incorporate joy into our daily lives, creating opportunities for connection (with others and yourself), and seeking help when needed,” she said.

Mental and physical health are not two completely separate aspects of a person’s life that never intersect—in fact, it’s the opposite. For instance, depression increases the risk for many types of physical health problems, including long-lasting conditions (e.g., diabetes). Similarly, someone with a chronic condition can have an increased risk for mental illness. Overall, as Purvine pointed out, mental health can impact one’s quality of life.

“Stressors that aren’t dealt with in a positive way can cause a lack of sleep, and exhaustion can cause severe mood changes,” she said. “Some people can turn to negative coping mechanisms (substances/substance abuse) and develop anxiety and depression. Both anxiety and depression have also been linked to physical issues like heart disease and strokes.”

Additionally, Sherman said mental health and physical health can heavily influence one another because of the connection between the human body and mind.

“When we neglect to take care of our headspace, our bodies are the first to let us know,” she said. “Think about a time you have felt stressed in your life—you may have noticed increased body aches, trouble sleeping, changes in appetite, etc. When we take the time to address our emotional health, our bodies respond more positively.”

For individuals to continue to focus more on their mental health and get the help they need, the conversations must continue. Purvine said she thinks we’ve been moving in a positive direction more recently because of society evolving in a variety of ways.

“I think mental health is becoming less taboo as culture is changing,” she said. “A few reasons for this could be social media, more access to more information, and more open discussion than there has ever been before.”

Additional information, resources, and access to helplines can be found on the NAMI website.

The planet Jupiter is so big that more than 1,300 planet Earths could fit inside of it.

Every person has a story. Everyone has his or her own struggles, whether seemingly small or a bit more life-changing. What people are facing isn’t always evident on the outside, though, leaving plenty of room and an unspoken open invitation for kindness.

While being kind to others certainly has some self-serving benefits (such as improved mood, a decrease in the stress hormone cortisol, increased serotonin, and lowering of blood pressure), its main purpose is to help others, and doing so often has a bigger impact than one might realize. In fact, the memory of an act of kindness can stay with a person long after its occurrence. Former Dallas-area resident Karen Brinkmann, who recently moved to Montana, said one of the kindest things anyone has ever done for her was when her daughter, Rachel, completed a needlework project for her as a gift several years ago.

“She spent a lot of time making it and put so much thought into designing it to be perfectly one-of-a-kind for me,” she said. “It was so thoughtful and made me feel so loved, appreciated, and valued.”

Former Dallas resident and current Atlanta resident Rod Washington recalled a time when a friend baked some homemade cupcakes for him for his birthday.

“It was out-of-the-blue and was quite the surprise,” he said. “It made me feel appreciated.”

For Washington, it doesn’t matter how big an act of kindness is for it to be rather significant.

“Kindness plays a large role in everyday life,” he said. “Even the smallest gestures of kindness can go a long way because you never know what someone is going through.”

Dallas-area resident and high school teacher Megan England once went through an experience in which she posted something on social media that was blown out of proportion. She said the kindest thing anyone has ever done for her was when her students stood up for her during that time.

“It was special because it reminded me that I wasn’t at fault, and they saw that,” she said. “They made me feel brave and supported in a moment that truly was make-it-or-break-it—personally and professionally. I had never experienced something so manipulative and hostile before, and honestly, they were more supportive than the adults.”

Just as England experienced, being kind can significantly impact a person’s life when he or she needs it most. And Brinkmann said she truly believes that kindness counters negativity in a powerful way.

“Even small acts of kindness—an encouraging smile from someone you pass by or when someone lets you cut in in traffic—can lift a person up when everything seems to be going wrong,” she said.

Showing kindness doesn’t necessarily take a tremendous amount of effort and isn’t difficult to do. England said she hopes that we will continue to see more of it—and in a more authentic way.

“I wish kindness played more of a genuine role in our society,” she said. “Unfortunately, it feels like the random acts of kindness we see on the internet are for self-gratification and attention. All we have is each other. We’re in this together. It doesn’t take much to share kindness.”

WEEKLY PHOTO OP

A NatNews staff member and future dear readers supported participants of the Chicago Marathon Sunday morning

Monday, October 9: The 1975 at Dickies Arena
Tuesday, October 10: Owl City at House of Blues Dallas; World Mental Health Day
Wednesday, October 11: Dallasites101 Annual Pumpkin Painting at River Pig Saloon
Thursday, October 12: Stars vs. Blues (season opener) at the American Airlines Center; Party in the Park at Klyde Warren Park
Saturday, October 14: WRRC Saturday run from Taco Joint
Sunday, October 15: Kesha at The Factory in Deep Ellum; The Shire Fall Festival at Gillespie's Tavern