World Mental Health Day
What would help you feel more prepared to support a friend who is struggling? Whether you are a parent, teacher, small business owner, coach, grandparent, world traveler or all of the above, life gets stressful. None of us are immune to mental health challenges, yet so many of us feel unprepared to offer or seek help. October 10 is World Mental Health Day. Here are some helpful tools and tips for encouraging mental health well-being in your sphere of influence. Have you considered what you can stock in your psychological first aid kit? Calmly listen to those in need. Learn about their struggles. Acknowledge their strengths. Connect them to resources. Sit with them in the silence. You do not need to be a trained counselor to be a friend to someone who is hurting. What about your mental health medicine cabinet? What healthy habits do you have in place to nurture your mental health? Learn to take breaks. Talk things out. Acknowledge that hard is not the same as bad. Write a list of resources should you want to seek help. Educate yourself. You take care of your physical health at the gym, grocery store, and medical appointments, so start…
Product Review: Gut Friendly Recipes
What resources do you turn to when looking for gut healthy recipes? If you have ever had gut issues, worried about cooking for a houseguest with IBD, or gone on an elimination diet, you know that meal planning can be an added stress. The Crohns and Colitis Foundation is a wealth of resources, and they have just added a recipe and meal planning section to their website. This free resource, Gut Friendly Recipes, lets you filter recipes by your diet and food preferences, plus if you register, you can make a weekly meal plan and save your favorite recipes. Some of the diets they specialize in are Crohn’s Disease Exclusion Diet, Low-FODMAP Diet, Mediterranean Diet, and Specific Carbohydrate Diet and many recipes have tips of what to avoid or substitute if you are having a flare. After registering it only took me a few clicks to get a meal plan for 7 dinners. So whether you have IBD, IBS, gut issues, or are cooking for someone who does, this helpful resource will give you a boost in the kitchen. Check out this new resource and show some love to the gutsy person in your life. https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/gutfriendlyrecipes Table Talk: Who do…
Suicide Awareness
Why don’t we talk about suicide? We don’t talk about Bruno and we don’t talk about mental health issues or suicide awareness. Do we really wish to hide it or is it simply because we don’t know what to do about it? Why don’t we talk about suicide? Recently, my family was hit by the shock and grief of death by suicide. It had a ripple effect on families, workplaces, schools, and communities. It also opened the door of the church and community for help and healing for the survivors. How can we help prevent death by suicide? Our hearts break for all those with heavy pain, those who struggle with depression and mental health issues and those who love them. Warning signs can be despair, self-focus, hopelessness, isolation, and destructive behavior. Ways to help can be removing a person from danger, not leaving them alone, removing dangerous objects, and talking about the goodness of the Lord. Psalm 27:13 reminds us of our hope and reason to live. God is our light and our salvation. Hope and help from just one person may be just what it takes to save a life. Be the friend who walks in the darkness…