Mental Health Tips and Tricks
May is National Mental Health Awareness Month
For years our country has been in the midst of a mental health crisis. The recent outbreak of COVID-19 certainly did not help the crisis. In fact, emerging statistics show that in September 2020, after seven months of unprecedented isolation and economic shutdown, the rate of moderate to severe anxiety peaked, with over 8 in 10 people who took an anxiety screen scoring with moderate to severe symptoms. The numbers are similar in depression screenings, and more people than ever before are reporting frequent thoughts of suicide and self-harm; suicide remains the leading cause of death for Utahns ages 10 to 24 and Utah’s youth suicide rate has more than tripled in the last two decades (Summers et al., 2019; University of Utah Health, 2020).
Life is Hard, and we’re here to help
The Family Support Center and our team of therapists are here to help. Below you’ll find some tips and tricks from our team you can try at home with your families.
Our clinicians are happy to provide additional support and clinical services call 801-955-9110 for more info.
Shelli Mecham, Clinical Director, LCSW
Self-care and taking the time to rest are extremely important. Try out these 9 types of rest, or download this list of self-care activities.
Bobbi Reasch, Clinician, LCSW
One thing I recommend to help reduce anxiety and have more positive emotions is savoring positive memories. You can do this by thinking of a memory that puts a smile on your face. To re-experience this memory, use your senses to recall as much information about the memory as you can. Where were you? What did you hear? Were there other people there? What did they say? What did you smell? Enjoy the memory for a few moments or tell someone about it.
If you can’t think of a positive memory, create one right now (i.e. play a game with your child, walk around a park, bake some cookies).
First, while you are participating in the activity, tell yourself positive comments (i.e. “This is so much fun”, “I love my partner/son/daughter”, “I feel so relaxed out in nature”).
Then, later in the day, tell someone about the positive memory you created.
By doing this, you will reduce your anxiety and have more positive emotions.
Tara Graham, Clinician, CSW
I love to use square breathing as a calming technique. Slowly trace your finger along each side of a square and be sure to: breathe in, hold your breath, breathe out, and hold your breath. Repeat as many times as you need until you are feeling calm. You can get creative and try it out with any other shapes you like! (see examples below thanks to: https://copingskillsforkids.com/blog/using-shapes-to-teach-deep-breathing)
Taking time aside for you and your mental health can be hard but is very important, both for you and your children.
“Children learn so much from how you behave rather than what you tell them. Role model healthy coping skills so they can become skilled at using them too”
IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING A MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCY PLEASE UTILIZE THE FOLLOWING RESOURCES:
UNI Warm Line (to talk with a mental health professional) 801-587-1055
UNI Crisis Line 801-587-3000
Salt Lake County Mobile Crisis Outreach (They can come to you) 801-587-3000
Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255
Valley Behavioral Health 24- Hour Crisis Line 801-261-1442
IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND NEED IMMEDIATE HELP CALL 911 OR ONE OF OUR SALT LAKE COUNTY SHELTERS.
South Valley Services 801-255-1095 or text 801-870-5018
YWCA 801-537-8600.