Mind Your Mind News - Issue 3

MIND YOUR MIND NEWS January 2022, Issue 3

MYM NEWS

Table of

Contents From the Desk of Irene Barton Page 3 October Page 5 Bullying Prevention Page 6 Mindful Self-Compassion: Compassion for the Caregiver Page 8 November Page 9 Cobb County Community Services Board Article Page 10 Reminder for Managing Holiday Blues Page 12 Mindful Self-Compassion: A Holiday Season Full of Presence Page 13 December Page 14 Intentions for the New Year Page 15 Mindful Self-Compassion: The Gift of Self-Compassion Page 16 Thank You to our Sponsor Page 17 Resources Page 18

MYM NEWS

FROM THE DESK OF IRENE BARTON Dear Stakeholders, I doubt any of us thought that we would still be dealing with a global health crisis at the end of 2021. Just one more reason why all of the information and resources that we share through our Mind Your Mind mental health awareness initiative are so important. We understand that there is SO much information coming at each of us these days, and sometimes you just want to tune out and turn off. That's okay - we all need to do that from time to time.

When you are ready, take a peek through our quarterly magazine. We've got information that can help you, your family, co-workers, friends and neighbors.

Our goal is to normalize the conversations around mental health so that we are all aware of its importance and can help ourselves and others when that part of our health needs help.

I recently participated in a book study of "What Happened to You" by Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey. It was an extremely powerful book for me to read and reminded me how deeply wired we are for connection and empathy, despite the many forces that can sometimes make that seem so far out of reach. I encourage each of you to read it; I think everyone will benefit from it.

We wish you and yours a safe, healthy and happy new year.

Warmest regards,

Irene M. Barton Executive Director

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“Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love.

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MYM NEWS

Bullying Prevention National Bullying Prevention Month is a campaign founded in 2006 by PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center. Research has shown that students who are bullied are more likely to experience low self-esteem and isolation, perform poorly in school, have a negative view of school, experience physical symptoms (such as headaches, stomachaches, or problems sleeping) and experience mental health issues (such as depression, suicidal thoughts, and anxiety). While this is significant, the affects of bullying don't stop there. Bullying also negatively impacts witnesses of bullying and those bullying others. Witnesses are more likely to use tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs, have increased mental health problems, and miss or skip school. Youth who bully others are at increased risk for substance use, academic problems, and experiencing violence later in adolescence and adulthood. Youth who bully others while also being bullied themselves suffer the most serious consequences and are at greater risk for mental health and behavioral problems.

With the Collaborative's role in creating a traumainformed community, the clear link between bullying and mental health problems, and the long-term impact trauma has on our minds and bodies, addressing this national campaign is imperative. National Bullying Prevention Month is now a nationwide call to action around educating communities as to their roles in bullying prevention. Addressing and preventing bullying is something that everyone can do, every day.

Sources: Center for Disease Control, Bullying Surveillance Among Youths StopBullying.gov

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Compassion for the Caregiver Did you know that our brains are evolved to feel what other people are feeling in our own body? Our mirror neurons can feel our child’s anxiety or our partner’s frustration. If we work in a helping profession or have multiple caregiving roles, we are especially susceptible to what we often call “compassion fatigue”. But compassion and self-compassion can actually be a resource for us when we are up close to the suffering of others. Empathizing with others means we feel what they are feeling. But compassion allows us to say, “I can hold space for your struggles” rather than “I carry your struggles and feel them as my own”.

Try these practices when you are feeling overwhelmed by the needs and suffering of others: 1. Take a ‘Caregiving Self-Compassion Break’ with these three steps: · Place a hand over your heart for comfort and label the struggle with a validating tone of voice. “It is painful to see so this loved one/client hurting” · Remember what you’re feeling is a part of being human and something we all struggle with. “It is normal to feel weighed down when people we care about are hurting.” · Treat yourself with the same kindness you would show to a dear friend. “I need kindness and care to sustain my ability to care for others. How can I be kind to myself when I’m feeling this way?”

2. ‘Three Deep Breaths’, · During each breath inhale compassion for yourself and exhale compassion for the person who is struggling. · Keep this mantra in your phone or written down somewhere and repeat it to yourself as often as you need to. · “Everyone is on their own journey. I am not the cause of this person’s suffering and I couldn’t fix it even if I wanted to. Walking with this person as they suffer is sometimes difficult for me to bear. Yet I may still try to help when I can.”

Diane Hilleary, LCSW, CEDS - S Atlanta Center For Self-Compassion

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Cobb County Commun Let’s face it, the holidays can be stressful. While time with family and friends, holiday celebrations and running the gauntlet from Thanksgiving to Christmas, Hanukkah and New Years are exciting for many, the holiday season can also bring a host of stressful situations. For some, the holidays may bring sadness, loneliness, anxiety and too much selfreflection. Many people may also feel a sense of grief around the holidays remembering loved ones who have passed on. The stress, fatigue, expectations, and financial burden of the holidays can impact our ability to enjoy the season. If you are disconnected from family and friends, feelings of loneliness may be much more prominent this time of year. Added social activities and family time, excessive celebration — which may include over-indulging in alcohol or food — and lack of sleep may be additional stressors. Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders in the U.S. and research suggests it is caused by a combination of genetic, biological, environmental and psychological factors. Further, if you have risk factors for depression such as serious physical illnesses, personal or family history of depression, major life changes or trauma, or take certain medications, the holidays may feel even more difficult for you. Sadness and depression are deeply personal and felt differently by everyone — and the stress of the holidays can make symptoms worse. While working with a therapist is always a good way to get help with depression, there are also several things you can do to manage holiday stress and bolster mental well-being: Set realistic expectations for the holidays and

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ity Services Board pace yourself. Setting realistic limits on time with family and friends and time for self-care helps you manage the chaos associated with holiday activities. Challenge yourself to decide early on what is really important and make only those commitments that are life fulfilling for you. Don’t take on more tasks than you can accomplish; share the tasks and let others assist you. Set a financial budget for the holidays and stick to it. The perceived materialism of the holidays can drain the joy out of celebration if you let it. The time shared, the memories created and the connections we feel are the most important parts of the holidays. Those are investments which will last a lifetime. If you are alone, reach out and find a place to volunteer and give back. There are also many individuals who are dealing with loss during the holidays. If you know someone who is, reach out and make them a part of your celebration, or create a new tradition of including those who have no one to share the holidays with.

Your life will be enriched by the experience. Most important, live fully and enjoy the present. If you find yourself unable to cope during the holiday season, call the Georgia Crisis and Access Line for help, 24-hours a day, at (800) 725-4225. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration also has a confidential national helpline that is available at no cost 24/7/365 as a treatment and information service for individuals and family members facing mental health and substance use issues at 800-662-HELP (4357).

Melanie Dallas, LPC Melanie Dallas is a licensed professional counselor and CEO of Highland Rivers Health and Interim CEO of Cobb County Community Services Board. These Community Service Boards (CSBs) provide treatment and recovery services for mental health, addiction and intellectual developmental disabilities in a 13-county region of northwest Georgia that includes Cobb County.

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MYM NEWS

A Holiday Season Full of Presence During the winter holidays we see a lot of messaging about everything being merry and bright. There is a cultural focus on gratitude and strong pressure to spend time with family. For many of us, though, the holidays also bring extra stress, grief, and pain. Though we may feel sad or hurt at other times of the year, around the holidays those feelings are magnified by the belief that everyone else is happy and enjoying the holiday season.

A practice you can use to help you slow down and notice your experience this holiday season is expressed with the acronym: RAIN (Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture). The steps are simple and pausing to use them can help change your perspective and make your holidays a little brighter.

Part of the reason we stay busy during the holidays is to avoid our own internal experience, because there is pain inside we would rather not feel. When we rush from one holiday event to the next on autopilot, we are just reacting to things in the moment without pausing to notice how we really feel.

Practicing self-compassion during the holidays starts with accepting and allowing. First accept that the feelings you have during this time of year are valid and important, even when they are not the feelings you are “supposed” to be having. Then allow yourself to simply be where you are and feel what you feel.

When we can acknowledge a painful situation or emotion and label it with a validating tone, we can think more clearly about how to respond. “I am feeling really sad right now. That is a part of being human. How can I support myself until this moment passes?”

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Recognize - what you are feeling.

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Allow - all your feelings to be there, notice judgements of your feelings and allow them too. Imagine there is enough space for you to feel all of it, letting it come and go, without getting too attached.

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Investigate - get curious (without judgement) about what you are feeling and label thoughts, emotions and body sensation with a validating, gentle tone of voice.

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Nurture - Can you imagine the comfort you would offer a dear friend who was in your shoes? Can you turn any of that care towards yourself?

Diane Hilleary, LCSW, CEDS - S Atlanta Center For Self-Compassion

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MYM NEWS

Resolutions can often be a big part of our conversations as a new year rolls in, but when can resolutions begin to do more harm than good? According to Jenny Koning, a therapist with PlushCare, the pressure to set a resolution just to keep up with the flip of the calendar year and then feeling the weight of not living up can cause increased anxiety and depression. It's important to be kind and compassionate with ourselves. She suggests that instead of creating resolutions, which can feel pass or fail, that we instead set intentions that align with our values. This offers a place of "compassion, growth, and grace". (USA today) Are you looking to set some intentions to improve your mental health? Check out the graphic here for a few suggestions!

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The Gift of Self-Compassion Loneliness is a particularly painful feeling during the winter holidays. Though we are often surrounded by family, we may still feel disconnected or alone. If we have lost loved ones, the grief can intensify around the holidays. A self-compassion break is a practice we can use in moments of grief, family conflict, or disconnection. You can do this as a journaling practice, a meditation practice, or just pause and think through these steps.

Begin by simply bringing to mind the relationship you are struggling with, or the person you are missing, and just notice how you feel. Try not to judge your feelings, but instead speak to yourself in a validating tone, “This is really painful right now”, “This hurts”, “Loneliness is miserable.” There is no right way to do this, but just naming that you are in a moment of struggle and pain can be healing.

Next try to remember that loneliness, disconnection, and family conflict are things everyone feels at times. Feeling these things doesn’t mean you are human-ing incorrectly. It isn’t abnormal to feel disconnected or lonely even when surrounded by loved ones and celebrations. Remind yourself: “Everyone feels this way at times. This is a part of being human.”

And finally check in on what you need. Perhaps make a list of small things you can do to lift your mood. Examples might be: skip sending the holiday card this year, allow more time for rest, arrange a gift exchange rather than feeling pressure to buy everyone a present, treat yourself to a movie, reconnect with a dear friend, skip the neighborhood or work holiday party, or allow yourself to let go of hosting a holiday party this year. These are just suggestions, the important thing is to listen to what you need and then allow yourself to have it.

When we accept how we really feel this holiday season rather than trying to pretend we are always happy and joyful, we have the opportunity to support ourselves with warmth and kindness. This is the best gift we can give ourselves.

Diane Hilleary, LCSW, CEDS - S Atlanta Center For Self-Compassion

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MYM NEWS

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR

Resilient Georgia's mission is to lead a state-wide coalition to develop a closelyaligned and traumainformed public and private network working toward a united vision to create a birth through 26 year old integrated behavioral health system. Key components to be implemented by their partners include prevention, early intervention, research, advocacy and policy, and System of Care implementation and coordination.

Click here to learn more

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MYM NEWS

RESOURCES

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MYM NEWS

My GCAL App

The S Word

https://tinyurl.com/545j3znv A suicide attempt survivor is on a mission to find fellow survivors and document their stories of courage, insight and humor. Along the way, she discovers a rising national movement transforming personal struggles into action.

A Crisis Has No Schedule. That is why the MyGCAL App is designed to help young people in the state of Georgia access the Georgia Access and Crisis Line (GCAL) via chat, text, or phone call 24/7/365.

Mindful Self-Compassion

Mind Your Mind Speaks

tinyurl.com/mymspeaks Check out our podcast series where guests can share valuable insights to raise awareness, share mental health resources and inspire action throughout our community.

Diane Hillary talks the mental health benefits of practicing self compassion.

We are all overwhelmed, and we can all benefit from this 6 minute session of encouraging support.

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Be Someone’s Hero

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