Because it is impossible to completely avoid the things that cause stress, people learn to handle them enough to get through each day. By connecting with others going through similar situations, you can lessen stress by talking it through or by sharing activities such as exercise, meditation, community service, singing, or creative arts. Working with others to change conditions in the community can help people feel better now while also preventing mental health problems by removing or lowering stresses that affect everyone.
We taught the 4th and 5th graders meditation techniques and have 10 minutes daily of quiet time. The kids now look forward to it.
Twice a month I pack grocery bags at the food pantry. Iâm not saying it will end my neighborsâ poverty, but at least they wonât be hungry while we work toward bigger solutions.
My neighbor and I grew up with the same music. We get together, play our favorite songs, and sing along loudly!
I teach a class on mental health for community health workers from different backgrounds. I always ask: âWhat do people in your family or culture do when things are difficult?â Many people mention teaâbrewing tea or inviting someone to join them for tea. Another common response is practices involving water, such as relaxing in water, bathing, or footwashing. Of course, watch out for practices that may cause harm, but always ask about the traditions that work for people already. We often hear new ideas we each want to try!
Food, exercise, friends, and nature
You hear about it a lot and itâs true: nutritious food, exercise and movement, being with other people, spending time outdoors, and getting enough sleep all help prevent many physical and mental health difficulties as well as help us manage them better. This is why so many community groups and health programs make these a focus.
How to pick a health habit to try out or do more of
Is there something you already like to do that you know is good for you? For example, walking in the neighborhood, eating fresh fruit, drinking more water, getting a little extra sleep, spending time outsideâeven when itâs cloudy and especially if the day is sunny. Think of this as your secret weapon to lessen stress, change whatâs on your mind, and make you stronger. To start, make your goal small enough that you know you will achieve it. Doing one thing well usually makes people see they can continue or even do more of it.
Doing it with others can make it more fun. Maybe you can make a pact with another person or a group to check in about how each of you are doing with your goals. Not all goals will work out, but if you find something that feels good and is doable, you will see that you can change things in your life. Try different ideas.
Walk 2 or 3 times a week, even if it isnât very far. Try some errands on foot, or you can get off the bus or park the car so you walk a little extra each day.
Get together to cook or eat with someone, trying a new food or recipe.
Drink more waterâplain water, water with lemon, or unsweetened herbal teaâwith meals and during the day.
Agree with a friend that youâll each go to sleep 15 minutes earlier than normal, or, if your phone is keeping you from sleeping, agree to put your phone in a different room a few nights per week.
If starting a new health habit on your own or with a friend isnât working, see if a community or senior center offers workshops or classesâoften free or low costâand choose something that sounds interesting or fun to try out. Try to interest a friend in going too.
Iâm so glad you joined this exercise class with me!
It's fun and hopefully will lower my blood pressure. I'm trying to change what we eat, but the kids love everything fried.
Have you tried other recipes?
Iâm starting to get them used to chicken with vegetables, but they are stubborn.
Good for you! Theyâll come around.
Help others think about their goals by asking more about them. Almost no one likes being told what to do but it is OK to encourage someone to come up with their own ideas of what could work.
To change our health habits, we often need more than personal strength and initiativeâwe need communities where having healthy habits is not so difficult! Think about what keeps people in your community from living a more healthy life and what could make it easier.
If the water in school cafeterias tasted good and no soda was sold, would more kids fill up their water bottles?
If parks and bike and walking paths were kept clear of trash and felt safe to use, would more people use them?
If there was a community garden, affordable neighborhood farmersâ market, or community meal program, would people eat healthier food?
Are there historical or cultural traditions that used to bring people together which could be revived?
Stress makes diabetes, high blood pressure, and other chronic illnesses worse. And living with these conditions can cause more stress. I reverse this negative loop that creates stress by treating my diabetes, including eating well. That helps with the diabetes but also improves my energy level and mood.
Our city park has always funded a summer outdoor yoga class. This year we mixed it up by finding community members who do other movementâ hip hop dance, belly dancing, tai chi, and âbring your babyâ stretching. More people started to come and the teachers we hired were happy more people could try out their classes.
It took us a year to make a tule canoe as our Indigenous ancestors used to. We learned to be in relationship with tule by harvesting it, drying it, and then working with it to make the canoe. We came together every few months to pray, to remember Indigenous technical knowledge, and to share stories and songs. We made plenty of mistakes to laugh at, but it was enormously satisfying to see our finished boat could float!
Where I teach, the high school kids talk a lot about their anxiety, often while eating cookies or chips and drinking soda or energy drinks! We got the school to offer more nutritious snacks, with less sugar and caffeine. For kids who make the switch, many of the signs that look and feel like anxiety go away. The kids organized a campaign to get everyone to carry refillable water bottles and the school to improve the water fountain filters.
