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- Sarah Young-Sheppard
Wednesday Pick Me Up - March 2021
Happy Women’s History Month & Social Work Awareness Month! We hope you’ve been following us on social media where we're sharing content to highlight the amazing work of women throughout history as well as the importance of social work. There’s also a great opportunity for you to be part of our weekly Self Care Challenge. If you’d like more information on any of this make sure you’re following us on Instagram (@SEWInitiative), Twitter (@SEWIwellness ), and/or Facebook (@SEWInitiative).
This month, on March 26th, we also celebrate Social & Emotional Learning (SEL) Day. This day highlights the importance of SEL and the positive impact it has on the success of our youth and communities. If you’d like to learn more about this day and be involved click here Also, make sure to check us out on social media as we’ll be sharing content in honor of this important day.
One of our amazing partners UCLArts & Healing has asked us once again to present at their annual Expressive Therapies Summit. We are thrilled to be able to discuss the importance of Social & Emotional Wellness and share information about the curriculum we developed for middle school called Social & Emotional Learning for Youth (SELFY), which is available for purchase (link to purchase). We are currently finalizing the development of our SELFY Teen Edition. Stay tuned for more info! If you’d like to join us at the conference or learn more click here and if you’d like to learn more about all of the amazing work that goes on at UCLArts & Healing and all of their resources please check out their website
We are continuing our online training series this month with a workshop on Leadership & Self Care on March 24th. This training will help you find ways to support your own self care & communicate your needs while also helping you to become a leader in self care whether at home or work. If you’d like to learn more or sign up, click here. This workshop is open to all adults for a minimal fee of $10 per person.
PS. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, and celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general. Celebrations generally involve public parades and festivals, Céilís, and the wearing of green attire or shamrocks. In honor of this day, here are some yummy Irish inspired recipes
SOCIAL
Music, as we know, sets a mood and a vibe as we hear it in lounges, bars, parties, or other social events. Music is an important part of our life. And each of us uses the power of music for various reasons. Moreso, research shows that “music is a valid therapy to potentially reduce depression and anxiety, as well as to improve mood, self-esteem, and quality of life.” For these reasons and many others, we wanted to share with you the Columbia University School of The Arts Concert Series. One of our AMAZING MSW interns, Kristi, is a student at Columbia and was kind enough to share this with our team and now we’re passing it forward to all of you! Check it out here and enjoy!
EMOTIONAL
“Everything will be fine.” “It could be worse.” “Look on the bright side.”
As well intentioned as those phrases may be, per a Washington Post article, “experts are cautioning against going overboard with the “good vibes only” trend.” Too much forced positivity is not just unhelpful, it can be toxic. “While cultivating a positive mind-set is a powerful coping mechanism, toxic positivity stems from the idea that the best or only way to cope with a bad situation is to put a positive spin on it and not dwell on the negative,” said Natalie Dattilo, a clinical health psychologist with Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Data indicates that anxiety and depression, among other mental health problems, have surged to historic levels in recent months, adding toxic positivity to the mix may only exacerbate negative emotions by preventing people from working through the serious issues they’re experiencing in a healthy way.
Research has shown that accepting negative emotions, rather than avoiding or dismissing them, may actually be more beneficial for a person’s mental health in the long run. It’s important for people to normalize and label their experiences while removing any expectations and goals that they should feel better than they do. Recognize that how you feel is valid, no matter what. It’s okay not to be okay. “It’s okay to have a positive and optimistic outlook and feel sad at the same time,” said Dr. Datillo. We can feel sad and be grieving and still look forward to the future. Both of those are necessary for a healthy outlook and sense of well-being.
PHYSICAL
For way too long, women have been forced to live up to a standard way of life in regards to how they look, eat, dress, stay fit & healthy, talk, work… you name it! Throughout history, there have been trailblazers in so many areas of life who have broken those standards to create a more inclusive, diverse, and authentic way to thrive. To learn more about some of these incredible women check out these links: Kellie Brown, Dalina, Danae. There are also some great resources created by women to help us all learn that regardless of what society tells us we are all special and should be celebrated. Check out some of these resources:
http://iweighcommunity.com/podcasts/,
If you’ve been struggling with body positivity or just struggling, you’re not alone. We invite you to check out all of the resources in this article. Regardless of where you are in your physical health journey, we want to remind you that you are beautiful and loved. You are enough!
Good News
Check out this story of a Grandma gets prescription for a hug!
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