The Jana Marie Foundation highlights the importance of mental health during its next Mokita Dialogues session on Thursday, April 28, from 11 a.m. to noon.
Recent news coverage of growing mental health needs leaves us all wondering: what can we do to help?
May marks Mental Health Awareness Month, giving all of us an opportunity to combat the misconceptions, prejudices, and discrimination that often surround mental health.
Mental health is often thought of as the absence of a mental illness or disorder, but it’s not that simple. The World Health Organization defines it as a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to do a contribution to your community.
Being mentally healthy means having realistic, purposeful, and productive thinking. When we feel good mentally, it is easier to have a growth mindset and we can more easily tap into coping strategies to help us overcome difficulties and even thrive in the face of adversity.
It’s important to recognize that good mental health doesn’t mean feeling happy all the time or never having feelings of stress. It also does not mean that we will never develop a mental health challenge or experience a mental health crisis. However, it does help mitigate some of the risk and can help lessen the impact on our lives.
We can make a comparison here with our physical health. We engage in daily routines to be proactive in caring for our bodies. This includes things like getting enough sleep, eating healthy, exercising, maintaining healthy social connections, etc. Although we make this a priority, we know that we can still get sick or injured from time to time. However, these routines help lessen some of the impact and hopefully help us recover more quickly.
Everyone faces challenges in life that can take a toll on their mental health, making these courageous conversations crucial not just during the designated month, but every day.
Mental health problems affect the way we live, laugh, love and play. In other words, it affects all aspects of our lives. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in five people will experience a mental illness in their lifetime, but less than half will receive help.
Historically there has been a silence that has surrounded the issue of mental health, something that the Jana Marie Foundation and other organizations work every day to combat. Through education, awareness, and conversations throughout the community, we can remind people that it’s okay to seek help and it’s okay to help someone.
The Mokita Dialogues on April 28 will provide an opportunity for community members to come together, dispel myths about mental health, and engage in conversation about ways we can continue to shine a light on this topic throughout the year. This dialogue is free and open to the community. Join via Zoom by visiting www.tinyurl.com/MokitaDialogues.
Over the past five years, the Jana Marie Foundation’s Mokita Dialogues series has brought to light a variety of issues of vital social importance that often go unnoticed or unaddressed. Held on the fourth Thursday of each month, these discussions include a short presentation, engaging activities that encourage thinking and conversation, and suggestions for ways to continue the discussion.
The word “mokita” comes from the Kilivia language, native to Papua New Guinea, and means a known truth that is not said; think of it as the notion of the elephant in the room. Please join us to learn, listen and participate in finding solutions to these important problems.
It’s time to come together to recognize the “elephants” that exist in our community and how we can address them.
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