As much as we perhaps wish it wasn’t, stress is a natural part of life. It comes at us from nearly every angle. The pressures of work, family, finances… it can feel overwhelming. While stress may be unavoidable, that doesn’t mean we should let stress go unchecked. When stress is allowed to rule our lives, it can cause significant physical and mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, high blood pressure and heart disease.
While we all experience stress, we don’t all experience it the same way. And not all stress is the same. There are positive forms of stress – like learning a new skill or tackling a fun, but challenging project – that help to keep life exciting. It’s important to know your own stress tolerance and take time to check in with yourself. These check-ins should take stock of how you’re feeling emotionally as well as any physical symptoms you are experiencing. Stress can manifest itself in a number of ways, including headaches, fatigue and difficulty concentrating.
Being able to effectively manage stress is key to your overall health. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to coping with stress. You have to find what works for you. At its essence, stress management begins with taking care of yourself. Sounds simple enough, right? Sure, taking care of yourself includes eating right, exercising and getting enough sleep. But it also means doing the other things you need to do to feel cared for. That might mean saying no to a weekend get-together when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Or making time for a front porch venting session. Or maybe finding a creative outlet that lets you express yourself. Creativity can be cathartic. When we’re feeling overwhelmed by stress, it can sometimes be hard to find the words to explain what we’re feeling or experiencing. Art can help to fill in the gaps.
As we approach Mental Health Month in May, Wyandot BHN is using art to “start the conversation” about mental health. We’re inviting mental health advocates and those with lived experience of mental health challenges to create art that sparks important conversations about mental health. We will then showcase their artwork at the stART the conversation art exhibition.
Whether you are an artist, an art enthusiast or just want to learn more about mental health, I invite you to join us for an evening of art and advocacy at The Velvet Nova on Friday, May 20.