Live Your Life Well

Every day, Americans are affected by the challenges, stresses and demands on their lives. And every day, they seek help in responding to them. The good news is that there are effective tools that are readily available and free for anyone to use to help improve their well-being.

May is Mental Health Month. Mental Health America is encouraging Americans to use these tools which are the foundation for the Live Your Life Well(SM) campaign.

Our Live Your Life Well(SM) website provides 10 research-based tools that can be easily integrated into your everyday life.

1. Connect with Others. Create new connections at work or in the community, and make efforts to strengthen your existing connections with family and friends.
2. Stay Positive. Noticing and appreciating the positive aspects of your life offers a great mood boost.
3. Get Physically Active. Exercise relieves your tense muscles, improves your mood and sleep, and increases your energy and strength.
4. Help Others. Keep it simple for starters; hold a door open for someone or smile and say "Good Morning!"
5. Get Enough Sleep. Make your bed a sleep haven; avoid tasks like paying bills and writing reports.
6. Creat Joy and Satisfaction. Read a humorous book, watch or listen to comedy, and try to laugh at some of the hassles of your life if you can.
7. Eat Well. Eating healthy food and regular meals can increase your energy, lower the risk of developing certain diseases and positively influence your mood.
8. Take Care of Your Spirit. It's not all about religion; try meditating or getting in touch with your deeper self.
9. Deal Better with Hard Times. Getting support, problem-solving or focusing on the positive aspects in your life can help you handle tough times better.
10. Get Professional Help if You Need It. If the problems in your life are stopping you from functioning well or feeling good, professional help can make a big difference.

Good mental health keeps you productive, energetic, happy and hopeful--even in the face of stress. There are steps that you can take to make a real difference in your ability to handle challenges. The tools found on our Live Your Life Well(SM) website do not require making drastic changes to your life or a significant time commitment. The website provides clear, easy-to-understand information on how to incorporate these changes into your life. All of the contents are free to the public.

Find Happiness

You have got to be kidding me, Ohio is ranked 47th in happiness? I hope that doesn’t include those of us who live in Licking County. Finding happiness is like finding yourself. You don’t find happiness. You go through the process of discovering who you are or self-actualization. It’s a big word and a very important process.

A few weeks ago the Gallup Inc. Healthways Well-being Index was released which revealed that Ohio ranks 47th out of 50 states on the happiness scale – in other words, lots of Ohioans are unhappy.

Since the United States Declaration of Independence says we all have the right to “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” and Mental Health America promotes good mental health and wellness, I have a few suggestions.

First of all, we all must have good self esteem. Remember that good self esteem is a quiet feeling of liking who you are. That leaves out anyone who is boastful, conceited, or a braggart. People who do those kinds of things do NOT have good mental health. Signs of good self esteem include feeling like a valuable person, displaying a positive attitude, knowing you aren’t perfect and are ready to apologize when you make a mistake, and thinking and behaving in ways that are good for you and good for others. Don’t forget that you must be likeable to have others like you.

Secondly, we must get along with others. That means to respect differences and use self control. When you don’t like someone, which happens to all of us, a mentally healthy person will leave them alone. There will be no bullying, name calling, picking on others. If you don’t like someone, make a quick evaluation of what you can change. If nothing comes to mind, don’t get in their face, just leave them alone.

The third part of being mentally healthy is to cope with the demands of life. In other words, manage the stress you experience using positive strategies – no drinking, drugging, lying, cheating, behaving in negative ways, etc.

Our self esteem in built on successes in life and love. If you don’t feel successful in your relationships, change them. If you don’t feel successful in school or your job, change that situation. If you have a lot of stress, work it out. And I mean it literally: talk about it to someone that can help you sort your way through your stressors; exercise daily – you can change your brain chemistry in a positive way by exercising; think positive thoughts and find silver linings in those dark clouds; join a support group to help you deal with your situation; write out your problems so you can see what is challenging you and then seek help to solve it; and eat healthy food (enough said about that).

Then when life seems really tough, look for a hug. It’s wondrous what a hug can do. A hug can cheer you when you’re blue. A hug can say “I love you so,” or “Gee, I hate to see you go.” The hug! There’s just no doubt about it, we scarcely could survive without it. A hug delights and warms and charms, it must be why we have arms. No need to fret about the store of ‘em. The more you give, the more there are of them. So stretch those arms without delay and give someone a hug today.

If you would like a hug coupon, just let me know. We give them out by the thousands. All I ask is that you use it appropriately and with respect. My email is: paddykutz@alink.com, come in or call Mental Health America of Licking Count, 65 Messimer Drive, Newark, Ohio 43055.

MHA is a member agency of United Way, Community Mental Health & Recovery Board of Licking/Knox Co., and NAMI.

--Paddy Kutz
Executive Director, Mental Health America of Licking County

Too Blessed to be Stressed

"Too blessed to be stressed" is my motto of the day. I rarely open e-mail "forwards," but a Getting Ahead class member shared one that I couldn't resist and it contained that heartening homily. It was just what I needed to hear on a very stressful day.

Indeed, I am blessed with an incredibly loving and supportive family, the cutest grandchild in the world (IMHO), a job and a home I love, and the only time I go hungry is . . . well, practically never. On a day-to-day basis, though, I don't always remember to count those blessings. Like today. In just the last few months, pain from arthritis and fibromyalgia has become a daily companion and the top joints on both forefingers popped out the way my grandmother's did. Also, although my memory was always bad, now it's worse and it affects so many aspects of my life. It's discouraging to be your own worst enemy at 59.

You know, I don't mind being 59. In fact, I might even stay there. But I remember my grandmother at 59, and it takes my breath away to realize that I'm the same age she was when she was 59. It puts "59" into a completely different context for me. Mufasa! (a Lion's King reference, for those who haven't seen it 23 times).

As that great philosopher Marie Osmond once said, "You're going to laugh about it in the future. Why not laugh about it now?" OK.

If you visit the Parent Support office at Mental Health America, don't be surprised to find computer wallpaper with one or both of those sayings on it.

I got Marie's quotation from her website. I also spent a little time trying to find out where the saying "too stressed to be blessed" originated. Suzan D. Johnson Cook wrote a book called "Too Stressed to be Blessed: about her ministry as an African American woman who became a pastor at a time when many people disapproved of women as pastors.

Having a book with that title doesn't necessarily mean she said it first, though. I stopped Googling and finally decided I was just procrastinating and needed to actually write the blog. So for now, it's by the most prolific author of all time: Anonymous.

Judith Waite Allee
P.S. If you are a low-income parent, please call me at 788-0300 to see if you qualify to earn up to $450 taking a class on financial stability and investigating poverty in Licking County.