Finding Hope

“Seeing a loved one struggle with their mental health can feel scary and overwhelming. It’s natural to want to help by bringing in a professional, but while some people are open to therapy, many others are hesitant or resistant. Here’s how to broach this sensitive question with purpose, care, and respect.”

Your Mind Matters!

“ No one is exempt from unhealable hurts. Eventually, they appear in every life. No matter how people present themselves on social media, everyone eventually faces hurts that won't heal. The chances are that they are not posting their struggles, which creates a lopsided view of their lives.”

As children often take their emotional cues from the key adults in their lives – including parents and teachers – it is important that adults manage their own emotions well and remain calm, listen to children’s concerns, speak kindly and reassure them.

"Grief is like a bad meal: The only way through is to digest it."

Remind children that crying is a valid form of emotional regulation. Remember that it’s not necessary to stop someone crying. It won’t make them feel better. Just be with it. Tears are not a sign of weakness or of lack of competence. Crying releases emotional tension and can flag distress. Just because someone is emotional does not mean that what they are saying or thinking is not rational.

“Parents need to practice self-control themselves to be able to choose productive responses when their child loses her grasp on her developing self-control.”

"We’re ignoring the stigma surrounding mental health that stops many men from seeking help when they need it most — and it’s literally killing them."

“It’s always more apparent to others when you’re on a screen than it is to you. You don’t notice the delay in your response, or how your responses don’t exactly match what the other person said. Not having a phone nearby as a ready go-to seems to facilitate not only more sustained connection with activities and people, but deeper connection.“

"Infertility, like many physical health conditions that have mental health implications, often goes unnoticed by well-intentioned friends, family, and co-workers, yet thousands of couples ride the roller coaster of hope and disappointment each month in an emotional quest to start a family. "

“The Muppets can often do what humans can’t. They’ve got this special power.”

“There are numerous benefits of families eating together. ‘The benefits range from the cognitive ones (young kids having bigger vocabularies and older kids doing better in school) to the physical ones (better cardiovascular health, lower obesity rates and eating more vegetables and fruits) to psychological ones (lower rates of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, substance abuse and fewer behavioral problems in school).’ ”