April is National Minority Health Month, a time for individuals within the BIOPC community to focus on addressing their mental health needs. Started 20 years ago, the National Minority Health Month Foundation launched National Minority Health Month to strengthen the commitment of local communities and mental health practitioners to eliminate the barriers minority populations often face when struggling with mental health issues.

During this time, many of us, including those in the BIOPC communities, are facing daily struggles in dealing with the continued stressors related to the Covid-19 pandemic. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health has released some guidelines and suggestions to help individuals stay as healthy as possible during this time.

Exercise

Moving our body is not only good for our physical health but also our mental health. Not only do we feel good about ourselves when we commit to an exercise regimen, but the movement itself helps our body to release “feel good” hormones that can alleviate stress and anxiety.

Eat Well

When we are dealing with stressful situations, most of us tend to reach for unhealthy comfort foods laden with trans fats and refined sugars. Not only do these foods tend to make us pack on weight, but the chemicals in these foods can exacerbate our mental health issues, making us feel more depressed and tired.

It’s important to eat foods that support our mental health. Be sure to get enough protein and healthy fats. Your brain needs healthy fats to function properly.

Be Gentle with Yourself

When we are struggling with stress, depression or anxiety, it’s important that we are kind to ourselves and practice self-compassion and self-care. Take time for yourself each day to show yourself some love and nurture your spirit. Meditate, listen to music or get that massage you know you need!

It’s also a good idea to reach out to a mental health professional to get some guidance and tools to help you navigate what you are going through. If you’d like to explore treatment options, please reach out to me. I’d be more than happy to speak with you about how I might be able to help.

You may also want to check out this resource for some other minority health resources.

 

RESOURCES:

• https://www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov/nmhm/index.html
• https://www.nmqf.org/national-minority-health-month
• https://minoritynurse.com/national-minority-health-month-tips/

If you struggle to set goals, let alone reach them, you are definitely not alone. In fact, it is thought that roughly 92% of the population has found it hard to stick to goals. This constant cycle of trying to set beneficial life or health goals, but never quite reaching them, can ultimately lead to depression.

That’s because reaching goals is empowering and helps us feel we are in charge of our life. When we don’t reach goals, we feel powerless and even hopeless that our lives can change for the better!

How Counseling Can Help

Just as you must follow a recipe to the proverbial “T” to end up with something edible, there is a formula that must be followed to the “T” to set reachable goals. This formula is often used in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help individuals set and reach goals that will help them change behaviors and better their lives.

Goal setting has actually been shown to be a useful tool for those suffering from depression according to a study published in the journal PLOS ONE. The study found that individuals suffering from depression had more trouble setting goals and were far less likely to believe they could reach them.

The study found that those who were depressed had more difficulties setting goals and they were also less likely to believe they would achieve those goals. The participants also tended to set avoidance goals rather than approach goals.

An avoidance goal is one you set to avoid a negative outcome. “I want to lose weight so I don’t develop type 2 diabetes.” An approach goal, on the other hand, is one that you set to ensure a positive outcome. “I want to lose weight to have more energy!”

The study shows that counseling can help people with depression set and achieve realistic and achievable goals as well as help them stay on track mentally in pursuit of that goal.

The goal-setting formula used by most CBT therapists is as follows:

• Identify your goal.
• Choose a starting point.
• Identify the steps required to achieve the goal.
• Take that first step and get started.

A therapist can help you with each one of these steps. From ensuring you select realistic goals that are approach goals, to helping you identify where you are in relation to your goal, breaking down the goal into smaller, actionable steps, and helping you take that very first one, a counselor or coach will be in your corner, helping you every step of the way.

Make 2021 the year you reach those goals that will help you live your best life. If you’d like some help getting there, please get in touch with me. I’d be more than happy to discuss how I may be able to help.

 

SOURCES:

• https://positivepsychology.com/goal-setting-counseling-therapy/
• https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/notes-self/201308/how-set-goals
• https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/functioning-flourishing/201706/are-you-setting-the-right-goals