#BellLetsTalk Day and Supporting Mental Health

Hi everyone!

It's that time of year again when I try to bring to everyone's attention something outside of the HP world for a moment that's near and dear to my heart, as I do on this day every year.

Today is #BellLetsTalk Day up here in Canada. (Well, technically it's the 24th, but I can't post this from work like I normally would so you're getting it 45 minutes early!

What's that, you ask?

Bell Let's Talk Day is all about promoting awareness and reducing the stigma around mental illness by engaging in an open discussion around it. In reality, we should aspire to be more comfortable about talking about mental health, mental struggles, and mental illness every day, however today in particular it is important to continue on that mission. Despite our best efforts and declarations that we want to be open about it, sometimes we still need that reminder that it's ok to not be ok.

Prior to the 2023 edition of this post, this would be the part where I'd tell you what you can do, share, watch, etc. on social media to get the big Canadian telecommunications company Bell to donate 5¢ towards mental health initiatives, however that is no longer how this works (and let's be honest, a company as big and rich as Bell shouldn't need us to share a video to donate a measly 5¢ per view...they could easily put their money into their effort on their own...). That's not what we need to do anymore.

What do we do, then?

Instead, I'm going to again ask that you take a different kind of action: Check on your friends. Those RL friends you haven't seen or heard from in a few days, weeks, or months because "they're probably just busy". Those online friends from HP or wherever else who have suddenly disappeared from their accounts without any explanation and "that's just not like them". Check in with them...see how they're doing. Make sure they're ok. 

The winter months (for those of us currently experiencing that in the northern hemisphere) can be hard...less daylight, colder temperatures, meh weather....I mean, last Monday was even Blue Monday, thought to be the most depressing day of the year! 

As much as HP is often our "happy place away from the real world", it's hard to deny as well that the world isn't a bit of a bleak place these days, with housing costs sky high, wars being fought in Ukraine, Palestine, Myanmar. "Left vs. Right" politics raging in the media in a variety of countries all over the world. Volcanoes trying to wipe out towns in Iceland. Earthquakes. Landslides. Drought. Floods. Pandemics. Food insecurity. It's just...hard. It's hard to hear about it, it's hard to experience it all, it's just...hard. It often makes us just want to retreat into ourselves to avoid anything and everything. Sometimes all it takes is a message from a friend or acquaintance out of the blue to turn a day around. A random compliment you weren't expecting. Appreciation. Random acts of kindness. It makes you feel heard, seen...like someone cares when you felt like no one did.

That's it, that's your Blitz-given homework: Check in with your friends. Your family, by blood or those you've chosen as your people. Let them know that you care and are there if they need you. That you'll listen.

Nope, I take that back. I, Blitz, am giving you TWO pieces of homework this year. The second one? Take care of yourself. No matter how busy you are in your day, take a break. Take even just 5 minutes per day to sit with your favourite warm beverage and have a few moments of calm to quickly recharge yourself. Read a chapter in a book. Take that 5 minutes to relax and not touch your cellphone/computer/device. Take care of your own mental health.

In addition to that, I'm going to share these resources should you need them or need to pass them along...

Mental Health Resources

If you're Canadian, check out THIS website for mental health initiatives and resources.

If you're American, check out THIS website for mental health resources.

If you're in the UK, check out THIS website!

If you're in Australia, check out THIS or THIS website!

(Even if you're not from any of the above countries, their websites' resources can still be helpful to you!)

If you do not live in either of those countries (because I can't list every country I know we have members from or this news post would get much longer than it already is!), please use your favourite search engine to discover what your country has to offer. You are also welcome to share your favourite resource in the forum post that will mirror this news post!

With all of the stress of the past four years especially, more and more people are struggling with their mental health, and it's important to end the stigma around talking about it. It's also important for mental health to always be a part of the conversation, not just today!

Here on HP, we even have our own Mental Health Check-In in the forums, started by the lovely Saturnia while she was on staff, if you need to talk about how you're feeling but don't feel you can with the people outside your computer. Alternatively, you are obviously welcome to create your own post in the Health area of the forum, or reach out to any of the HP staff, even if you just need a place to vent! We are all virtual safe spaces for all!

Join the conversation. You don't have to struggle alone.

Love y'all,

♥ Blitz

-bump-

Also feel free to share what you do to recharge your mental batteries on that break we all know we should take...

I know myself, I have a lot of trouble taking breaks at work. Could be the ADHD, but I have trouble "stopping" for even 5 minutes, and even when I do, inevitably a teacher will come ask me a work quesiton and zoom, off I go again. 99% of the time I eat my daily bagel for lunch while checking out books to a class who's visiting. Or I'm eating it while cataloguing 2 hours after I should have taken my unpaid lunch.

I need to start taking that break, even if it involves me closing myself in a storage closet for 5 minutes with a tea and a book.