May is Mental Health Awareness Month.  Unfortunately, mental health is one of those things that is still taboo to discuss.  Until we started PunkinFutz, I never shared with anyone that I struggle with anxiety.  It would have been seen as a weakness or liability in my previous positions, so I never discussed it.  I have taken medication and been in therapy on and off for over 35 years.  The combination helps me manage, but it can still be a struggle.  I find that talking about it helps a lot.  Being able to name it and admit how hard it is has helped, especially as I have met many others who struggle similarly.  That has been the best part - finding out that I am not alone.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness has some amazing resources on their website.  I would start with their education and support pages here.  They have free support groups, a helpline, video resources, and more.  In addition, they are hosting their annual convention virtually this year on July 27 & 28.  There is a small registration fee.  Find out more or register here.

Mental Health America is another excellent source of free resources.  Their report on the growing mental health crisis caused by COVID was worth reading.  For me, the statistics regarding anxiety and suicidal ideation among 11-17 year olds started some important conversations at our house.  They have a number of surprising statistics here.  Again, I found the numbers regarding children to be eye-opening.  They have some on-line screening tools, which you can find here.  I did not use these and would recommend reading their privacy policy first, if you decide to use them.  I liked their 31 tips to boost your mental health, which include yawning (!) and sunshine 🙂 Lastly, I liked their exercise to keep your mind grounded.  It's one we featured on our Wednesday and Noon with Gina Moffa (one of my all-time favorites).  

As noted, there are a number of reports about the effects of the pandemic on children's mental health.  The disruption of the past 15 months has taken a toll on all of us.  This information helped remind me to take the time to check on my kids.  Here are some other children's mental health resources I used:

Healthy Children from the American Academy of Pediatrics has some great resources on identifying mental health risks for children by age range here. 

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) also has excellent resources by age range, which you can find here.  Their article about the sharp increase in mental health related emergency room visits among children was one of the first scary/important reports I read.  

The Wall Street Journal's Article, Loneliness, Anxiety and Loss: The COVID pandemic's terrible toll on kids was also really helpful in understanding the full impact of the past year for children.  "The biggest driver of child well-being during Covid is how parents are functioning, according to a survey of nearly 500 parents with children ages 8 to 17, conducted by Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio."

So please take a moment to check in on your family members.  It's Mental Health Awareness Month.  And don't forget to take care of yourself, as well.  

Join us this week for an inspiring conversation with the Founder of Max and Me Gear. Steph Godny, thinks of herself as a mom who understands, this Wednesday we'll find out why, how our community can support Max and Me, plus more! 

This Friday, our fave drummer turned teacher returns. You might remember his and Rebekah's rockin' performance together last year on Recess. Join us this Friday at 4 PM to see what Matt has in store for us this time!

OK, another video worth waiting through the first 5 seconds to SKIP the ad.  Articles on anxiety and depression talked about finding things to do with your hands...how about this?