Mental Health and Well-Being

What does “mental health” mean to you? Is this different from “mental illness”? Some people also use the terms “mental flourishing”, “mental languishing”, “mental wellness”, and the list goes on. One step Extension professionals can use to reduce stigma and put the mental health conversation on the table is to clear up our understanding of terms. First, let’s consider “mental health”. This may make you think about depression, anxiety, or other common mental health struggles. Often when we...

I recently had a conversation with an official from an agency that educates, trains, and empowers blind and low vision individuals. We were discussing how to share the impact of two Mental Health First Aid courses that were offered to the staff at this agency. During the dialogue, this official shared that we must understand that most individuals who are blind or are low vision view this disability as a “random inconvenience.” I thought that was a very profound way to describe a disability...

Guest pot by Jane Schuchardt, Executive Director (ret.), Extension Committee on Organization and Policy What do you do when your handsome, talented, and accomplished son in his early 20s, one you thought you had a close relationship with, suddenly pulls away, acts in ways that seem out of the ordinary, causes you immense concern? Seek help — someone who will listen without judgment, skillfully take you down a path of discovering insights and ways of coping, and walk beside you to celebrate...

Well darn--I made a mistake scheduling this blog post so we missed the day: March 2nd is World Teen Mental Wellness Day. However, I have been trying to celebrate mistakes and not let good work go to waste over something small like a deadline. And now I know you have to hit "publish" to schedule your upcoming posts! Read on to learn about World Teen Mental Wellness Day...in preparation for next year! World Teen Mental Wellness Day was established in 2020 to bring awareness and attention to...

If you’re like me, you may spend your free time scrolling through social media whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Reddit,… There are so many virtual portals that suck us in! That’s not a bad thing, but at some point, between always working and taking care of others, I’ve forgotten what I enjoy doing for fun! I also look for those quick brain boosts that don’t exactly fulfill me. When we are mentally satiated and releasing dopamine due to healthy and meaningful...

We are excited to announce a regionwide train-the-trainer workshop for the new curriculum, Taking Action Against Substance Use in Communities (TASC), funded by the North Central Cooperative Extension Association (NCCEA) and the Great Lakes Rural Opioid Technical Assistance Regional Center (ROTA-RC) . Please forward this announcement to NCR Extension professionals who may be interested in this opportunity! Are you working with communities that are struggling with addiction? Are you tired of...

What is mental health stigma? Are there different types of mental health stigmas? Are you aware of the specific type of mental health stigma you experience and its potential impact on you? Kalichman (2019) defines mental health stigma as “the disgrace, social disapproval, or social discrediting of individuals with a mental health problems.” Additionally, research has identified four types of mental health-related stigma (Subu et al., 2021), Self-stigma – Often referred to as internalized...

Have you ever stopped to think about the power of saying "thank you"? Gratitude is more than just good manners. It's a science! Explore the fascinating world of gratitude and how it can affect your brain and life. So what is gratitude? Gratitude is that feeling of thankfulness and appreciation for the good things in our lives. Recognizing when something good is happening can have a measurable impact on our brains when we articulate it to ourselves or others. Let's learn how gratitude works...

I tend to closely monitor the statistics on the number of mental health providers per capital in each state, particularly the Midwest states. According to Mental Health America (Reinert, Fritze, & Nguyen, 2021) most of the Midwestern states tend to fall in the bottom half of this state-by-state ranking. This means the need for mental health care is rapidly overtaking the workforce’s ability to provide it. So how can Extension bridge this gap? To be honest there is little we can do to...

Agriculture can be filled with unique stresses, from fluctuating market prices to unpredictable weather events. As a result of these unique stressors, it's no surprise that agricultural communities have experienced increases in mental health challenges and suicide. Here to Help NM is an innovative initiative resulting from a collaborative partnership between the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau, New Mexico State University, and the New Mexico Department of Agriculture to help farmers and...

The pandemic and its aftermath have brought about new and intensified stressors for many people. Coping strategies that have worked in the past might not be as effective in the current situation. Self-assessment and self-care are essential in times like these. Here are some steps you can take to address these challenges: Self-Assessment: Take time to reflect on your current state of well-being and baseline resilience. Ask yourself how you're feeling physically, emotionally, and mentally.

National Coming Out Day is October 11, 2023. How can you celebrate LGBTQ+ people you know, and why does it matter?

We may have heard of the following statistics. Worldwide, half of all mental illnesses begin before the age of 14 and three-quarters begin before young adults reach their mid-20s. In the United States, two of the most diagnosed mental health disorders are anxiety and depression. Suicide is the 2 nd leading cause of death among youth 10-24 years of age. This last one is most concerning. For decades, youth suicide ideation have been increasing and has been exacerbated by the pandemic. The time...

September is National Recovery Month. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra describes the purpose of this month in the following statement: “National Recovery Month represents an opportunity to recognize the strength and resilience of individuals who have triumphed over addiction and mental health challenges. Mental health and substance use disorders (SUD) are often misunderstood, stigmatized, and overlooked, but at their heart are people in despair looking for an open door and...

(Note: Today I’ll be talking about suicide, which can be a really painful topic. I’ll be focusing on suicide prevention.) September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Prevention means doing something before the crisis happens. We’ve talked about all sorts of ways to manage stress and be SAFER ( S leep, be A ware of your stress levels, F ocus on positives and gratitude, E at well and drink water, R each out to talk to someone)—these are all ways to reduce the risk of emotional distress and...