Last October 10 was World Mental Health Day.
The subject is more and more present around us and it is only positive.
Did you know that approximately 15% of the population is diagnosed with a mental health disorder annually?
It is enormous! And in our society focused on overproduction, speed of execution and the achievement of perfection, the numbers surrounding the subject will never stop increasing.
It has become the norm to have an anxiety disorder, to go through episodes of depression or to live with a mental burden exacerbated by ADHD.
I'm talking to you about it today so that we stop targeting people who have a diagnosis and start targeting our society as a whole a little more.
I also talk about it to do prevention and so that we all adopt a gentler look at our challenges.
Anxious moms and dads, ADHD families and everyone in between; Well done!
Well done for going through everyday life with your head held high. You are beautiful and strong. We are beautiful and strong!
Let's give ourselves the right to be who we are and try to make our society better by changing things.
I meet dozens of families each year who want to improve their situation. Who want to change things for their children and for their peers! And that’s beautiful! This is a sign that common diagnoses bring something positive. Cohesion and mutual aid!
The desire for tomorrow to be better than yesterday.
I am touched to see how many families are now approaching mindfulness and meditation with their children. How many people practice forest walking or minimalist living. This means that some of us finally choose to break out of the societal mold and try to get back to the basics: Live!
Because that’s what we do, right?
Live.
I believe it is time to open up about our challenges and choose to do some positive things with them.
I invite you all to try to get back to basics as often as possible.
To you, who experiences chronic anxiety. Did you know that immersion in the forest stimulates our senses and reduces stress exponentially. Studies show that daily exposure to woods improves cardiovascular health and anxiety disorders. So, taking time for yourself or with your family in nature means getting back to basics and above all helping yourself to live better in our current society.
Mindfulness or meditation can seem intense. But I swear to you that we all practice it without realizing it. Coloring, playing music, painting or even cleaning alone in our bubble.
Often when we feel the need, we meditate. But what would happen if we chose to meditate or live more consciously all the time?
In short, all this to say that mental health disorders are now more than present and for many reasons.
Now, let's use cohesion and mutual aid to get back to basics!
Let's change things for ourselves and our children.
- Anny Gareau, owner who thinks off the beaten track
