Spring is upon us, so why not do a Mental Health “Spring Cleaning”? March is the beginning of Spring. Everything seems so fresh and new. Flowers are blooming, and for those who live in the north the snow is gone, and warmer temperatures begin again. During the spring we tend to do deep cleaning, we start to plant seeds and garden, take care of the outside of where we live, or clean up things we forgot to do during the wintertime since it was not a priority. We are so excited to get outside again, and soak up the fresh air, be in the sun, and do outdoor things. So why do we often forget that we need a little bit of self-care, and sprucing for ourselves? It is easy to justify why we need to take care of everything else in our lives, such as the house, the garden, and even our cars, but often we ignore ourselves, our health, and, often, our mental health. If we have a medical issue, we are very quick to go take care of this. We work on taking medication, preventing further issues through diet and exercise, yet we often forget about mental health and working on it in the same way. Here are some ideas that could help with our Mental Health so you can tidy it up as well. Here are some helpful tips for “Spring Cleaning” your Mental Health.
Find a Therapist - we have a list of great therapists on our PU4P.org website
Journal - daily journaling can declutter your thoughts
Learn - try a new hobby and get your mind to work in new ways
Get Outside - go for a long walk with a friend or a 4-legged friend. Fresh air is good
Exercise - exercise helps boost serotonin
Grow - Plant seeds or bulbs and create a small garden
Enjoy - Go to an outdoor market or festival
Read - get lost in something that you can find a new adventure with
Watch - lose yourself in a fun movie or show
Drive - allow yourself to unwind and take in the beauty around us
Vacation - Planning out a relaxing trip can keep your mind focused on a goal
Visit - Go see someone you haven’t seen in a long time. Be with people you enjoy being with.
Here's another great activity called Unplug & Relax: Unplugging and relaxing is extremely important. There have been studies that show that your emotions can be linked to the news and social media. This can be especially important given the constant news around politics, the pandemic, or community violence around the world. So please remember, setting boundaries, unfollowing people, or using the block/snooze functions on certain posts and recognizing your limits are all healthy ways of protecting yourself in difficult times. We can only control ourselves, our thoughts and our actions. While we cannot control the unknown, however, we can create a peace within us that will allow for us to live in the world that is there. “Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.”
― Chuang Tzu Our Mission: “Professionals United for Parkland was created to identify and meet the short and long-term needs related to mental health/well-being of the South Florida community in the aftermath of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas tragedy through evidence-based services including education for the general community and professionals, clinical training, clinical services, support for clinicians, and more. We work alongside other local organizations and groups to ensure that we identify gaps in current services and that the needs of our community are being adequately addressed. We are entirely non-political.”
Professionals United For Parkland Honors the 17
During the month of March, Professionals United for Parkland remembers Coach Scott Beigel. The Scott J. Beigel Memorial Fund was founded to send underprivileged children touched by gun violence to summer sleep-away camp. From the website: “Scott Beigel wasn’t a hero because he opened the door to his classroom at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that day. He was a hero because he opened doors every day.”
To learn more: https://sjbmf.org/
PU4P Updates Interested in joining our trauma trained therapists (licensed only) - please take a few moments of your time and join the PU4P referral directory. The MSD community will need services for the long run. PU4P links those in need with a vetted list of trauma therapists. We ask for a commitment of 2 pro-bono clients a year. For more information or questions, please contact info@pu4p.org. Please support PU4P by designating it as your charity with The AmazonSmile Foundation. They will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible smile.amazon.com purchases. Don't forget to check our Facebook page for the most current events, updates, and information about PU4P! Thank you for your support of PU4P and your dedication to the Parkland community.
Comentários