Hey Muses! 
 
This month I am purposely sending out the newsletter at the end of the month. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and I'm not sure about you, but I've been seeing and hearing about resources since early May on every platform -- TV, podcasts, LinkedIn, IG, everything.
 
For most of us, we are directly or indirectly impacted by individuals struggling with their mental health and other times, we are struggling ourselves whether it's a bad day or a diagnosis. There are so many resources out there, and this month, I am doing a mental health x wellness corner. I'll be highlighting the dimensions of wellness (as usual) but this month, It's how they impact and influence mental health. 
 
The takeaway from this newsletter is that every aspect of wellness negatively or positively links to your mental health. What we do, who we connect with, what we eat, our habits … they all matter. This is just a snippet and I have links for everything. I tried not to give links to research that is seeped with jargon, but there're so many peer-reviewed articles that back up everything I've written about below. I hope you have had a great month and I'll be back with the June newsletter mid-month. 
  
♥️
 
xo,
Jordan
 
PS: Thinking of planning a beach day sometime this summer. My plan is for us to play hooky from work, enjoy some sun and catch some waves. If you want in, let me know!  🏖

 
Mental Health x Wellness Corner
 
Physical Wellness: Aerobic exercises, including jogging, swimming, cycling, walking, gardening and dancing, have been proved to reduce anxiety and depression. Thirty minutes of exercise of moderate intensity, 3 days a week, is sufficient for health benefits. 
Creative Wellness: The Journal of Positive Psychology supports the finding that being creative can increase positive emotions, reduce depressive symptoms and anxiety, and improve the function of our immune systems.
Spiritual Wellness: There's research linking spiritual practices (meditation, prayer and other rituals) with reduced stress. In a newsletter soon, I'll explain what spiritual wellness is and what it is not. It's broader than religion and going to church. 
Occupational Health: I documented my experience at a job that completely altered my mental health for months and I know first-hand that work can deeply negatively or positively impact mental health. I've written about being burnt out, setting work boundaries and enjoying what you do; all these things (AND MORE) contribute to feeling of stress, anxiety and depression.
Social Wellness: “Mental health deteriorates when we don’t feel a sense of belonging in the world.” Social connections and interactions are important for mental health in additional to physical health. Here's another article from the New York Times.
Financial Wellness: Chronic stress can be a result of financial challenges and there are link between mental health and money. There's even an institute called the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute. 
Physical Wellness: There's science behind the link of food and mood. There's an emerging field of study called nutritional psychiatry which is the practice of establishing a link between diet and clinical mental health outcomes. 
Environmental Wellness: Getting outdoors, especially in green spaces, can be what you need to boost your mental health. Harvard Professor Peter James has completed research and written about biophilia which is our innate human instinct to connect with nature. 
 
Remember: 
Wellness includes physical, occupational, social, financial, mental/emotional, spiritual, and creative health. It's all about balance!
🏆
That's your mental health x wellness corner!

Bye Bye, May!
Jordan
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