Hi Hamama Friends!

Today we celebrate World Mental Health day. It is observed worldwide every year on October 10th and each year it’s assigned a new theme that focuses on a particular mental health diagnosis.

This year’s theme is “Make Mental Health and Wellbeing for All a Global Priority.” The goal behind this theme is to make sure that we have the resources to make sure that everyone has access to mental health care.

“Stigma and discrimination continue to be a barrier to social inclusion and access to the right care; importantly, we can all play our part in increasing awareness about which preventive mental health interventions work and World Mental Health Day is an opportunity to do that collectively. We envision a world in which mental health is valued, promoted and protected; where everyone has an equal opportunity to enjoy mental health and to exercise their human rights; and where everyone can access the mental health care they need.”

We're sharing some accessible activities that you can add to your daily schedule to improve your mental health. Read on to learn more!

Meditation is a way to disconnect from the many distractions that we have in life. It allows us to reconnect with ourselves and slow down. You don’t have to meditate for hours to receive the benefits. Starting with 5 minutes a day can be extremely beneficial to your physical and emotional well-being.

If you are wondering how you can start, there are many free options available online or via an app on your phone:

• Insight Timer App
• David J Meditation YouTube

We’re all about health and happiness here at Hamama, and we hope growing your microgreens has been a source of easy self-care and mood-boosting for you! Adding some plants to your living spaces is an easy way to start a new healthy routine! One study found that interacting with plants actually relieves both physiological stress as well as negative psychological symptoms.

Feeling the sunshine on your skin or feeling the wind blow can instantly boost your mood. It is also the time of year to admire the changing colors of the leaves and crisp air - try to make a point to get outside to rake (and make leaf piles to jump in of course!), hike, or just enjoy sitting outside with your favorite cup of tea and a book!

We hope that these ideas can help bring some added peace into your life. If you have any questions or additional concerns about your mental health, we encourage you to check out the mental well-being resources that the World Health Organization provides.

Sources:

World Health Organization. (n.d.). World Mental Health day 2022. World Health Organization. Retrieved October 4, 2022, from https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day/2022