The Promise
I will promote mental health awareness in my community and learn healthy habits to maintain my own mental health.
Impact of the Promise
What is stress?
According to mind.org, stress can be understood as:
- Situations or events that put pressure on us – for example, times where we can be overwhelmed or don’t have much control over what happens
- Our reaction to being placed under pressure – the feelings we get when we have demands placed on us that we find difficult to cope with
What is anxiety?
Anxiety can be interpreted in many different ways, but according to the American Psychology Association, anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure. People with anxiety usually experience intrusive or undesired thoughts. Coping with anxiety is important for both our mental health and physical health because research has shown that long-standing untreated anxiety can lead to a higher chance for someone to get sick.
Importance of Mental Health Awareness
Both stress and anxiety are extremely common traits of what it means to be human, however, not everyone is aware of this. Did you know that 1 in 4 American people suffer a mental illness? According to Swhelper.org, that is an estimate of 56% of the population. There are many people in this world, especially within your own community, that believe the different stress or anxiety they’ve experienced is something to feel isolated in. It is our responsibility as a growing world to bring awareness to individuals who may feel isolated when it comes to their mental health so that they are aware that they are not alone.
Action Items
Do
- View tips and resources on how to cope with anxiety and maintain a healthy mental health
- Share tips with your community (family, friends, class, etc.)
- Create promise cards about mental health in your own life
- Share your promise cards with us on social media to raise awareness
- Be kind and empathetic to those around you
- Be willing to listen
Don’t
- Make judgements on others experiences with anxiety & stress
- Share others experiences with mental health without consent
- Exclude anyone’s experience with mental health as unimportant
Resources:
- https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/stress/what-is-stress/
- https://www.apa.org/topics/anxiety#:~:text=Anxiety%20is%20an%20emotion%20characterized,certain%20situations%20out%20of%20worry
- https://swhelper.org/2015/11/17/importance-mental-health-awareness/
- https://adaa.org/tips
- https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/tools-resources/index.htm
Element of Honor
Compassion
Through my actions I seek to alleviate suffering, establish peace, and build happiness with others and in myself. I recognize that the world is in great need. Because of this need, I am needed. My belief in the importance of a promise is strong; however, I know that doing what is right will always be more important than keeping a promise. Commitment holds me accountable to my compassion; it does not blind me of it.
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