Aloha Friends,
How are you doing with self-care? I am constantly trying to be “better” at self-care and yesterday found a friend whose self-care practice is inspirational. He’s a non-profit Executive Director with a full and demanding personal and professional life who runs, meditates, and journals virtually every morning! He has been doing this for several years and says the daily results in terms of stress and anxiety management are tangible. Even though I’ve read the research and know this to be true, it was impactful to hear it from someone I can relate to who is actually doing it.
September is a great month to boost your self-care practice because in September we observe two important “months:” Suicide Prevention Month and National Recovery Month. Both of these initiatives emphasize truths about mental health and suicide, which are that prevention works and recovery is always the goal. If we are taking care of ourselves, we can better inspire and help others. Here are some simple tools that you can use to increase your knowledge and be a resource to others:
- Our local suicide prevention mobile app, available for free download: https://kokualife.org/
- Online anonymous mental health screens and DIY tools: https://mentalhealthhawaii.org/
- Depression information featuring real stories of hope and support: https://findyourwords.org/
- NAMI’s Cure Stigma campaign, because stigma prevents us from getting help when we need it: https://www.curestigma.org/
Remember that mental health treatment IS suicide prevention so take care of yourself first and if you need help connecting with the right resource, give us a call at (808)521-1846 or info@mentalhealthhawaii.org.
If you’d like to help us do what we do, join us at our upcoming art and mental health event. We are going to celebrate the role of art and creativity in wellness, embrace opportunities for self-expression and have fun with good food, friendship and music! Event info is below.
With Appreciation,
Between Shadow and Light
An evening of creative inspiration and joyful inclusion with artist Boz Schurr, a benefit for Mental Health America of Hawaii.
October 18, 2018, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Cafe Julia at the YWCA
1040 Richards Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
Meet Boz Schurr, whose work is informed by her belief that there is a disconnect between mental illness and normalcy – that the classification of illness, health, and recovery are arbitrary and are not distinct points but a spectrum. Boz’s logo (above, left) is inspired by Dr. Maya Angelou’s quote “Be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud.” Some days you are the rainbow and some days you are the cloud. Some days you are both.