New Perspectives of Oregon

Uncovering your blind spots 😊
A first step is to learn to see our blind spots. Here are 7 ways to get started.

Admit you have biases. Then try to uncover what they may be. Think about how you react to certain situations, people or types of information. Do you have an immediate impulse that steers you away from some people, places and things, and toward others? Why?

Challenge yourself. Ask yourself why you believe what you believe, think what you think and act how you act. Are your beliefs, thoughts and behaviors serving yourself, but potentially underestimating, limiting or harming someone else? For example, consider how you interact with and describe people, places and situations. Are you being fair? Can you believe, think and act in ways that show more kindness and compassion? Can you patiently listen to another person or consider another way of doing something?

Expand your sense of empathy. Listen to understand other people’s views and feelings without judgment. Think about any given situation from another person’s perspective. How would it feel to be them? Would you want to trade places — why or why not?

Assess your body language. Is it saying what you want it to? Are you showing respect for others around you? For example, consider the different perspectives on personal space, touch, expressions, gestures and eye contact. What’s appropriate, respectful and comfortable varies culturally and from person to person.

Seek new experiences. Push yourself out of your comfort zone. Regularly look for opportunities to interact with people who are different from you. For example, you could join an employee resource group at your organization, visit a part of town you’ve never been to, try recipes from other regions, read opinion editorials by authors who don’t share your views, watch foreign movies, listen to podcasts and music from different places, or invite a neighbor or co-worker you don’t know to lunch.

Keep learning. Take the time to educate yourself about the current views and perspectives, as well as the histories, cultures and heritages different from your own. As you do, also think about the hardships, setbacks and other experiences others are facing today and historically. This can help you better understand where they’re coming from and gain some insight into why.

Keep trying. Uncovering your blind spots doesn’t happen overnight. It takes honest self-examination, time and practice to unlearn what is deeply ingrained in our thought patterns, behaviors and actions. It also takes a willingness to compromise and to even laugh at yourself once in a while.

Wherever you are, there’s likely a word to describe the people who provide unpaid, long-term care to loved ones in need of support, such as caregiver, family caregiver or carer. There’s also probably a term, like “sandwich generation,” for those caregivers who are caring for two different generations at once.

But what those terms don’t explain is the delicate and difficult emotional mental and financial balancing act many caregivers face. This balancing act becomes even harder when a caregiver is caring for multiple generations at once. Commonly called “the sandwich generation,” more and more adults around the world are at once taking care of their own little ones along with aging parents. And many of these individuals also are working part-time or full-time to help offset costs.

It’s a lot for anyone to handle. And it can bring a lot of different emotions. As a caregiver, you may feel good you can be there for the people you love and appreciate the time together. And at the same time, you may feel overwhelmed, stressed out and exhausted by the responsibility.

Showing yourself compassion 🥰
Showing yourself compassion means being kind to yourself, giving yourself grace and striving to find a balance. By showing yourself compassion, you acknowledge you can only control so much. You understand you may make mistakes, but you can focus on learning from them rather than criticizing yourself.

For example, let’s say you feel guilty because you grew impatient with your toddler and snapped at your elderly father. You cannot change what’s already happened. But you can reflect on what led you to that point of frustration and what could be done differently to prevent it from happening again. If you were irritable from hunger, and can you make sure to have nutritious snacks at the ready? Did you need a break and could you arrange for a relative or friend to come by to give you one in the future? Sometimes even taking a few deep breaths and counting to 10 can help ease tension.

Being compassionate toward yourself also helps you be more resilient, so you can bounce back from challenges more easily. 😉

“Being able to be your true self is one of the strongest components of good mental health.”
-Lauren Fogel Mersy, n.d. 😀

Do you spend some of your weekend worrying about or dreading your return to work? Try these strategies to manage your thoughts, so you can enjoy your time off and start your week with a positive mindset. Use the space to write down ways to use the strategy in your own life.

Use this worksheet to help plan your week: http://spr.ly/6187gpwNz

"You can't separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom." — Malcolm X

Consider what you need — and prefer 😉 ✏️

Before you start your search for a therapist, consider what type of therapist may best serve your needs. There are different many types of mental health professionals. They have a range of education and licensing requirements, which also can vary depending on where they live and work.
They usually specialize in different areas — such as children/adolescents, family and relationships, specific types of mental health or behavioral health disorders, and substance use disorder — and work with individuals in different ways. Some, but not all, can prescribe medication.

Below is a list of some types of therapists, as outlined by Mental Health America.1 Generally speaking:
For counseling and therapy, you could see a:
⭐ Clinical social worker – A counselor with a master’s degree in social work from an accredited graduate program. Trained to make diagnoses, provide individual and group counseling, and provide case management and advocacy; usually found in the hospital setting.
⭐Mental health counselor – A counselor with a master’s degree and several years of supervised clinical work experience. Trained to diagnose and provide individual and group counseling.
⭐Clinical psychologist – A psychologist with a doctoral degree in psychology from an accredited/designated program in psychology. Psychologists are trained to make diagnoses and provide individual and group therapy.

If you have a condition that will likely benefit from therapy, medical evaluation and medication management, including certain substance use disorder, you could see a:
⭐Psychiatrist – A medical doctor with special training in the diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional illnesses. A psychiatrist can prescribe medication, but they often do not counsel patients.
⭐Psychiatric or mental health nurse practitioner – A registered nurse practitioner with a graduate degree and specialized training in the diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional illness.

Source: 1. Mental Health America, “Types of Mental Health Professionals.”

Being a caregiver is a big responsibility. It’s natural to want to go out of your way for the people you love. But it’s important to give yourself the time, space and means to nurture your own wellbeing, too.
If you don’t, you could become so physically and emotionally exhausted that you “burn out.” 😷 🤒

Burnout is a result of prolonged stress, and can lead to anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, among other serious mental health conditions.

Maybe you already feel burned out or are on your way there. Signs of caregiver burnout include:
Tiredness
Changes in eating or sleeping habits
A lack of energy
Feelings of hopelessness at times
Losing interest in activities you previously enjoyed
A lack of motivation

In other words, you need to put yourself first in order to have the energy to help others. Here are some strategies for taking better care of yourself while you’re taking care of someone else.

Why Bring Awareness to Men’s Mental Health? 💙
Per year, roughly 6 million men are affected by depression and the rate of su***de has been on the rise. As of 2022, men accounted for more su***des than women. Additionally, roughly 1 in 5 men develop alcohol dependency. Regardless of these statistics, men are often less likely to seek help for depression, substance use, and stressful life events.

There are 5 major mental health problems that affect men.These include:
• Depression – Male depression tends to go undiagnosed. Typically, men report issues that are unrelated to feelings of sadness or worthlessness, which include fatigue, irritability, and loss of interest in activities/hobbies.
• Anxiety – Roughly 300,000 men experience a panic disorder or some form of phobia.
• Bipolar Disorder – Millions of Americans experience the effects of bipolar disorder. Men typically begin to experience symptoms between the ages of 16 and 25.
• Psychosis and Schizophrenia – Schizophrenia is one of the leading causes of disability in the United States. Men are often diagnosed with schizophrenia more than women.
• Eating Disorders – Around 35% of men are diagnosed with a binge-eating disorder. Men are often less likely to seek professional help than women.

How You Can Help
If you notice one of your patients or someone in your community struggling with symptoms of a mental health issue, consider these tips:
- Encourage physical activity and a nutritious diet.
- Recommend coping strategies such as journaling, self-care tactics, and listening to music.
- Suggest seeking mental health care from a professional.

i. (http://spr.ly/61805X4hs, 2023) - http://spr.ly/61825X4hQ
ii. Infographic: Mental health for men. Mental Health America. (n.d.). http://spr.ly/61835X4hv
iii. (http://spr.ly/61805X4hs, 2023) - http://spr.ly/61825X4hQ
iv. Infographic: Mental health for men. Mental Health America. (n.d.). http://spr.ly/61835X4hv

Sources:
http://spr.ly/61835X4hv
http://spr.ly/61825X4hQ

People often talk about feelings and emotions in the same way, but they have important differences.

Emotions give us information about our environment. They’re signals from our bodies, like ”butterflies” in our stomach or tightness in our chest.

Feelings are how we make sense of those signals. They’re the thoughts we have and the words we use to describe them. For instance, you might interpret the “butterflies” in your stomach as a sign that you’re nervous. Or, you might assume they mean you’re excited.

Here’s another way to think about the difference: Emotions are alerts, telling you to take action. Feelings help you decide what action — if any — to take.

Friend, child, sibling, partner. Person.

This also is an important part of me

It’s up to you whether you tell someone you identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. There is no right or wrong decision. It’s about how you feel and what you prefer to do. It’s also about what you are comfortable sharing or not sharing. When you share your s*xual orientation or gender identity with another person or group of people, you are choosing to invite them into your personal space. It is important you feel emotionally ready — and safe — doing so.

If you are ready to share, here are some things to think about if you are unsure about how to start the conversation.

💙 💚 💛 💜 🧡 ❤️

Take a step towards self-awareness. 😃 💻

Relationships or the pressures of performing at work or school are things we all know can have an impact on mental health, but sometimes it’s less obvious when the world around you is what’s causing problems. Whether you realize it or not, one or maybe all of these four things are probably affecting your mental health in some way right now.

CURRENT EVENTS Violent events impact people across the world. Maybe you have family in a conflict zone, are worried about increases in identity-based hate, or have no personal ties to a particular news event but are constantly seeing graphic images online.

LONELINESS Recent survey data show that more than half of U.S. adults (58%) are lonely, with those who are low income, young adults, parents, part of an underrepresented racial group, or living with a mental health condition experiencing even higher rates of loneliness. Loneliness increases the risk of developing anxiety and depression, and has been associated with psychosis and dementia. (http://spr.ly/6182ePpkE)

TECHNOLOGY Having the internet at your fingertips can be a fantastic thing — you can learn, connect with healthcare providers, keep in touch with friends and family — but it isn’t without its downfalls. Exposure to constant [bad] news coverage and contentious political campaigns can make anyone’s mood sour and cause anxiety about what lies ahead. In fact, almost 60% of young people (ages 18-25) expressed considerable worry about the future of the planet. Social media can cause FOMO (fear of missing out), depression, and reduced self-esteem as a result of comparison. ((http://spr.ly/6182ePpkE)

SOCIAL DRIVERS Social drivers (also called social determinants) of health are the conditions in which you live, work, learn, and play. These include economic status, education, your neighborhood, access to resources (nutritious food, health care, green space, transportation, etc.), and social inclusion, and can have a far-reaching impact on not just your physical health, but also your mental health.

What can you do to help? 😀
FIND YOUR SUPPORT SYSTEM
SET TECH LIMITS/BOUNDARIES
CHANGE WHAT YOU CAN
FIND HEALTHY COPING SKILLS

In crisis? Help is available! Call or text 988 or chat at http://spr.ly/6185ePpkH. You can also reach Crisis Text Line by texting HELLO to 741741

PAUSE 🧘‍♂️ 🧘‍♀️ 😇
Instead of acting on feelings right away, stop yourself and think things through. Count to 100 or say the alphabet backwards.

ACKNOWLEDGE FEELINGS
For example: Are you mad at someone, or are you sad because you were hurt by their actions? Whatever it is you’re feeling, it’s okay to feel that way.

THINK
Now that you’ve taken a few moments to figure out what exactly it is that you are feeling, think about how you can make yourself feel better.

HELP YOURSELF
Take an action to help yourself based on what you came up with in the “Think” step.

Negative emotions like fear, sadness, and anger are a basic part of life and sometimes we struggle with how to deal with them effectively. We often learn how to manage or cope with emotions from the environments we are in and the people we are around. 😀 😒

Denial
Denial is when a person ignores their feelings or does not accept that they are dealing with a challenging situation. They may do this if the situation does not seem like a big deal or if they feel they need to prioritize other things, like work or school. When people deny their feelings, those feelings don’t just go away and can build up over time. This can lead to a person “exploding” or acting out in a harmful way.

Withdrawal
Withdrawal is when a person doesn’t want to be around, or participate in, activities with, other people. This is different from wanting to be alone from time to time, and can be a warning sign of depression. Some people may withdraw because being around others takes too much energy, or they feel overwhelmed.

Aggression
Aggression is when a person uses force, threats, or ridicule to show power over others. People typically take part in aggressive behavior because they don’t feel good about themselves or are taking their emotions out on someone else. Making someone else feel bad makes them feel better about themselves or feel less alone. This can also show up as bullying or cyberbullying on online forums where the person can remain anonymous. This behavior is harmful to both the bully and the person being bullied, and does not address underlying issues.

Self-harm
Self-harm can take many forms including: cutting, starving oneself, binging and purging, or participating in dangerous behavior. Even though this causes the person physical pain, many people self-harm because they feel like it gives them control over emotional pain. While self-harming may bring temporary relief, these behaviors can become addictive and can eventually lead people to feel more out of control and in greater pain than ever.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at http://spr.ly/6189dlxzh. You can also reach Crisis Text Line by texting HELLO to 741741

Looking for a simple way to relieve stress and find calm in the moment? Grab a toy. Literally.

All ages can benefit from playing with toys. Toys help you release tension, reset and focus. And sensory toys, meaning those that engage the senses — such as touch, sight and sound — can be especially helpful. 🚲 🏓

Make your own sensory play-time fun!
Here’s a simple recipe for playdough, using ingredients commonly found in a home. For one playdough ball, mix together:
½ cup (120 g) plain flour
2 tbsp (30 g) table salt
¼ cup (60 ml) warm water
1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil Food coloring (optional)

In our daily interactions, we often encounter the phrase, "I'm fine," used as a shield to conceal deeper emotions. Whether it's conveyed through a forced smile, a hesitant nod, or a subtle change in demeanor, recognizing when someone isn't truly okay requires empathy and attentiveness. How we respond in such moments can make a significant difference in fostering openness and support. 🤕

Here are some thoughtful responses to consider when faced with the "I'm fine" facade:

Express Genuine Concern: "Are you sure? If you want to talk, let me know." This simple question communicates your willingness to lend an ear and offers an invitation for them to share what's on their mind.

Acknowledge Their Feelings: "It seems like something is bothering you. I'm here to listen if you want to share." Validating their emotions creates a safe space for vulnerability, reassuring them that their concerns are recognized and respected.

Share Your Experience: "I've been 'fine' before – I'm here if you want to talk about it." By sharing a personal anecdote, you normalize the experience of struggling beneath a facade of okayness, demonstrating empathy and understanding.

Extend an Invitation: "Do you want to [get coffee/go to lunch/grab a bite/take a walk] later? I feel like we have a lot to catch up on." Offering to spend time together outside the usual context provides an opportunity for them to open up in a relaxed setting, free from distractions.

Acknowledge the Discrepancy: "That wasn't very convincing – I'm here if you want to chat." Addressing the disparity between their words and their demeanor shows that you're attentive to their cues and willing to delve deeper into their emotional state.

Everyone encounters challenges and stressors in life, but having a toolkit of coping strategies can make a significant difference in managing your mental health. A coping toolbox is a personalized collection of skills, techniques, and resources that you can turn to during difficult times. ⛏️ 🔨 🔧

Building Your Coping Toolbox:
Mood Boosters: Engage in activities that uplift your spirits and bring joy to your day. Whether it's reading about someone you admire, watching a funny video, or spending time with a beloved pet, find what brings a smile to your face and incorporate it into your coping toolbox.

Addressing Basic Needs: Take care of your fundamental needs to support your overall well-being. This includes nourishing your body with healthy snacks, staying hydrated, practicing good hygiene, and ensuring you get enough rest. Prioritizing your basic needs lays the foundation for effective coping during challenging times.

Processing Feelings: Allow yourself to acknowledge and express your emotions in constructive ways. Whether it's through creative outlets like drawing or journaling, physical activities like punching a pillow or going for a walk, or simply allowing yourself to cry, finding healthy outlets for your feelings is essential for mental health.

Volunteering/Acts of Kindness: Find fulfillment and purpose by giving back to others. Acts of kindness, whether towards someone you know or a stranger, can provide a sense of connection and meaning. Volunteer your time, offer support to those in need, or simply lend a listening ear to someone going through a tough time.

Problem-Solving: Develop practical skills for addressing challenges and finding solutions. Make lists of potential solutions, identify your strengths, and practice assertive communication when resolving conflicts. Building problem-solving skills empowers you to navigate obstacles with confidence and resilience.

Nurses play a crucial role in healthcare, providing not only medical care but also emotional support to patients and families.

🩺💙 This Nurses Appreciation Week, let's shine a spotlight on their tireless dedication and expertise. Join us in expressing gratitude for their unwavering commitment to healing!

Anxiety impacts millions of individuals. If you or someone you know suspects the presence of one or more anxiety disorders, seeking evaluation by a professional is crucial to establish the most suitable treatment plan. 💻 📝

Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder involves persistent, excessive anxiety and worry about various things or events, differing from occasional concerns. It entails a lasting sense of apprehension that can disrupt daily life. Symptoms of GAD include feeling tense, difficulty controlling worry, irritability, and insomnia.

Panic Disorder
Panic disorders are characterized by recurrent episodes of intense anxiety and fear that peak within minutes. Individuals may experience impending doom, shortness of breath, chest pain, or a racing heart, even in the absence of immediate danger. Panic attacks may lead to fear of recurrence or avoidance of triggering situations.

PTSD and C-PTSD
Both PTSD and C-PTSD stem from trauma, manifesting as flashbacks, nightmares, and sleep disturbances. These conditions can evoke intense fear and a sense of danger long after the traumatic events. PTSD typically results from a single traumatic incident, while C-PTSD emerges from prolonged trauma over months or years.

How Is Anxiety Treated?😯
Anxiety disorders necessitate individualized treatment plans, as there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

Therapeutic interventions such as psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be beneficial, helping individuals explore thought patterns, react differently to situations, and reduce anxiety levels.

Medication is another option for managing anxiety symptoms. Regular evaluation is imperative to ensure the medication's safety and effectiveness. Personal experiences with medication may vary, and careful monitoring is essential for determining the appropriate dosage.

Celebrate International Dance Day by engaging in movement! 💃

Benefits of Dance:
Mood Enhancement: Dance triggers the release of endorphins, the brain's natural "feel-good" chemicals, promoting feelings of pleasure, reducing pain, and aiding in alleviating depression, anxiety, and enhancing self-esteem.

Community Engagement: Dance fosters social interaction, facilitating the opportunity to connect with new individuals who share a common interest. This social bonding contributes to a sense of belonging and connectedness.

Stress Reduction: Dancing elevates heart rate and activates various brain chemicals, leading to the reduction of cortisol, the body's stress hormone, commonly known as the fight-or-flight response.

👣 Whether your preference leans towards country line dancing, belly dancing, tango, or the waltz, there is a diverse array of dance forms catering to various interests and physical capabilities.

🥰 Types of Relaxation Techniques

Relaxation techniques are intentional practices used to produce the body’s natural relaxation response. These skills may slow breathing and heart rates, lower blood pressure, reduce headaches, chronic pain and insomnia, improve digestion, and even boost self-confidence. These activities are tools that can improve our health and our overall quality of life if we set aside time to practice them.

• Progressive muscle relaxation — With this technique, you slowly tense and relax individual muscles. Start with your feet and work up to your head. This practice teaches awareness of muscle tension when you are stressed.

• Biofeedback — There are electronic devices you can use to measure physical responses to stress. With instant feedback, you can take notes on what exercises relax you the most.

• Guided imagery — Begin by replacing negative images with positive, peaceful ones. For example, you might envision a day at the beach or relaxing in a hammock under the shade.

• Music — Believe it or not, listening to music can lower your heart rate and blood pressure. Focus on the music and sing out loud if possible.

Happy Earth Day! 🌎 ♻️

Here are simple ways to make every day Earth Day:

👣 Lower Your Carbon Footprint
Bike or walk
Carpool or take public transportation
Choose an energy efficient vehicle
Make fewer trips by grouping your errands
Drive smart: go easy on the brakes and gas, use cruise control, and keep your car well-maintained

🗑️ Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
Reuse or repurpose containers, clothing and cloth grocery bags
Give clothes a second life by donating or buying used
Know what items your local recycling programs collects, and what items are recyclable

💧 Be H2O Smart
Repair leaky faucets and replace old equipment like toilets and dishwashers when possible
Turn off the water to brush teeth and shave
Run full loads of laundry and dishes
Collect rainwater to use in your garden

🍞 Feed People, not Landfills
Check your refrigerator, pantry, and freezer before shopping to avoid buying foods you don't need
Plan your meals for the week before heading to the store
Properly store fruits and vegetables so they last longer
Befriend your freezer and leftovers

Many things in life can cause stress — your job, family, money, housing situation, health, responsibilities and more. The list of possibilities is long, and varies depending on your unique situation. But one universal fact about stress is that it usually comes in one of 2 forms — things you can control and things beyond your control. Breaking down the stress you feel into these categories can help you find ways to reduce the impact of stress on your life. 😨

❓ Can you take actions or decisions to avoid the stress in the first place?
❓ Can you change something, such your own behavior, perspective or communication style, to alter the situation?
❓ Can you adapt to the stress?
❓ Can you learn to accept a certain stressor that you cannot control or change.

Living with stress
-Managing stress requires being honest with yourself, being willing to take difficult decisions and asking for help when you need it. Sometimes that means:
-Avoiding stressful situations and people in the first place
--Altering the situation by changing your own behavior or communication style
Adapting to the stressor by altering your own perspective, thought processes or expectations

And, in some especially difficult situations and relationships, it means learning to accept what you cannot control or change, and figuring out how to live with it and not let it define you. Life can be complicated and unfair — and so can stress. Only you know what’s going on inside and outside of you. But whatever stress you’re facing, the main goal is to find ways to protect your own mental health and wellbeing as best you can.

Menopause is a natural biological process that happens as women age. It can also happen as a result of a serious illness or medical procedure. Simply put, menopause is when your body stops producing the hormones that support having a child. When a woman is in menopause, she no longer menstruates.

But despite the fact that most women will eventually go through this process, it seems very few people actually talk about it. 💬

1. No one can predict when you specifically will experience menopause.
While age, genetic factors, health and certain demographic characteristics can be linked to when a female will experience menopause, every woman is different. Most women go through menopause in their mid-40s to mid-50s, but some go through it later or earlier.

2. You may experience a variety of mental health and physical symptoms related to menopause that can affect your daily life.
Most women have mild to moderate symptoms, which may include:
Mood changes, anxiety and depression
Lowered s*x drive
Hot flashes and/or night sweats
Sleep problems
Incontinence and/or urinary tract infections (UTIs)
Weight gain
Loss of bone density
Symptoms may start during perimenopause and last after menopause. They vary depending on the person, and can change over time.

3. Safe and effective treatments can help with menopause symptoms.
Many women who experience mild or moderate menopause symptoms successfully use self-help remedies, such as:
-Using in-the-moment coping strategies — like deep breathing techniques and/or practicing mindfulness, meditation and yoga — to manage anxious thoughts or feelings.
-Nurturing overall health and wellness by reducing stress, being physically active, eating nutritious foods and doing activities you enjoy.
-Wearing layered clothing makes it easier to adjust during a hot flash, and so can keeping your room cooler and using layered bedding for night sweats.