Happy Mental Health Awareness Month! This month is one of our favorites as we also celebrate the heritage of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders and honor those who have nurtured and mothered us. As a company that provides culturally responsive mental health tools and services to world class brands around the globe, we couldn’t be more excited to champion the importance of mental health and wellness.
This past year, we’ve all experienced a form of “collective trauma” due to Covid-19, and the pandemic has thrust mental health concerns to the forefront. Symptoms of anxiety and depression are on the rise in children, adolescents, and adults, and increased levels of stress have been linked to drastic weight changes and higher levels of alcohol consumption. Additionally, nearly half of all mothers with children under 18 say their mental health is much worse than it was before the pandemic. For many of us, life has been incredibly stressful, and we’re doing our best to find ways to cope.
As Covid-19 cases fall and vaccines continue rolling out, we are hopeful that better days will greet us ahead, but it does not mean the stress will disappear anytime soon. As we navigate re-openings and the angst of identifying a “new normal,” it’s the perfect time to focus on tangible steps and tools that help us take care of ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities.
In the spirit of the first-ever #MentalHealthActionDay, this edition of the Huddle will explore signs of burnout, highlight wellness apps, feature websites to find a culturally responsive therapist, and identify the 5 questions you should ask BEFORE starting therapy!
P.S. Stick around for our founder’s first feature in the NY Times! https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/10/at-home/daydreaming.html