May is Mental health awareness month
The theme for this year is fitness for mind and body. Wellbeing includes emotional, mental, physical and spiritual wellness. All of those to varying degrees influence our daily life.
It is estimated that 1 in 5 Americans is affected by mental illness. That means it is highly likely we know someone who has a mental illness. Alongside with having a mental illness, there is still stigma attached to mental health issues, making it all the more challenging for people to get help.
During the month of May, National Association of Mental Illness is focusing on Compassion, Empathy, and Understanding as ways to reduce and remove stigma attached to seeking help for mental illness.
Stigma, adds to the suffering a person is experiencing with mental illness. We have the capacity to understand and alleviate their suffering. We liberate others when we allow them to speak of their perceptions and mental constructs without fear of judgement. Compassion is the urge to alleviate another person’s suffering. When we experience compassion, we also feel uplifted. Reducing stigma to mental illness is important. Having empathy, understanding and compassion is crucial to personal and global wellbeing.
Below is a link to an interview with Thich Nhat Hahn on compassion that I hope you will watch and find thought provoking
Namaste,
Shobhna
In today’s society where anything but physical perfection is derided, compassion has been all but lost. Thank you for this.
Thank you for saying so. We can just hold the space of compassion for others and hope more will join in this endeavour
Thank you for this Shobhana 💕
My pleasure Val. Thank for holding the middle ground space for all to be and grow in wellness.