Creative Activities & Your Mental Health

Happy Tuesday! Are you guys enjoying this lovely weather? Have you been maintaining your self-care practices? How is your mental health? What are you thinking and saying to people around you and to yourself? Supporting your mental health doesn’t have to be complicated.

Life is full of stress. Many of us carry mental stress without ever recognizing it, whether it's due to deadlines, taking on responsibility to care for others, studying, or just trying to keep up with everything. It's very easy to become overwhelmed and forget to check in and reset, as failing to do so may impact how you manage those responsibilities. Occasionally, we forget and neglect to use the resources available to us. Studies have shown that the body's primary stress hormone, cortisol, was considerably lowered after just 45 minutes of creating art. It has also been demonstrated that structured, repeated activities, such as coloring or pattern drawing, can lower anxiety. Over 80% of arts-based programs reported less stress, according to a comprehensive analysis (Yang, 2026).

Creative activities provide an alternative outlet for our emotions when they feel overwhelming or too difficult to express. Being creative, especially as a moderate distraction, has been shown to elevate mood and lessen anxiety. Creativity allows your mind to rest, whether you're journaling, drawing, dancing in your living room, or listening intently to music. The World Health Organization has recognized the value of creative arts and their effects on your mental health and the prevention of sickness. Because creative activities are accessible, affordable, and flexible, they work especially well in our communities and educational institutions. You can improve your mental health by engaging in the following creative activities:

• Visual Arts: Doodling, coloring, and watercolor painting are activities that help calm an overworked mind.

  
  

• Sensory Hobbies: Using your senses in practical ways, such as baking, cooking, knitting, or planting, helps you focus on the here and now.

  
  

• Writing & Reflection: Writing "affirmations/morning pages," gratitude logs, or free-form journals are examples of expressive writing that helps externalize inner fears.

  
  

• Music & Rhythm: Your brain's reward centers are activated when you dance to your favorite song, sing in the shower, or listen to soothing music. Dopamine and oxytocin, two naturally occurring "feel-good" hormones, are released.

This Tuesday, remember to always take care of yourself!

Mental Health Awareness in the Caribbean Community

Happy Caribbean-American Heritage Month!! As we conclude June, let's reflect on the reasons for our celebration. June has been designated as Caribbean American Heritage Month by Presidential Proclamation. It is observed in the United States to celebrate the history, culture, and societal contributions of Americans with Caribbean roots.

Caribbean Americans unite to honor their culture through activities which include dancing, enjoying traditional dishes, attending festivals, parades, and concerts, while recognizing and valuing their vibrant history. Music is essential to Caribbean heritage, serving as a significant medium for narrating history, social defiance, and cultural identity. Emerging from the blend of enslaved African beats, Indigenous customs, and colonial European elements, Caribbean music serves as a crucial link uniting past, present, and future generations.

In June 2005, the House of Representatives unanimously passed a concurrent resolution, introduced by Congresswoman Barbara Lee, acknowledging the importance of Caribbean individuals and their descendants in the history and culture of the United States. Additionally, Barbara Lee advocated for and established CHANGE, Inc., a community-focused mental health clinic that provides mental health services to at-risk and low-income populations. Recognizing mental health during Caribbean Heritage Month emphasizes the need to confront generational trauma, immigration anxiety, and cultural stigmas. It highlights the importance of harmonizing the community's enduring strength and resilience with open dialogues and culturally relevant assistance.

Mental health awareness during Caribbean Heritage Month highlights the importance of addressing generational trauma, immigration stress, and cultural stigmas. It emphasizes balancing the community's deep-rooted strength and resilience with open conversations and culturally aligned support. Theiral Lifestyle Network shared that Caribbean households value hard work, faith, and perseverance. While these traits have fostered incredible survival and success, they have often created a culture of suffering in silence. They highlight the need to break generational stigmas, shed light on the significance of mental health, and confront the prejudices that hinder individuals from seeking support. In Caribbean culture, mental health has historically been a sensitive topic, enveloped in secrecy, stigma, and confusion. However, awareness continues to spread; a gradual but significant change is occurring, dismantling generational divides and promoting a new age of transparency and recovery.

Some of the roots of stigma in Caribbean culture include but are not limited to:

• "Pray It Away" Mentality: Deeply rooted religious beliefs create the view that challenges with mental health indicate a lack of spiritual strength. Many are advised to "simply pray more" or "have faith in God" rather than pursuing professional assistance.

• "Strong Black People Don't Cry": A legacy of strength against slavery, colonialism, and economic hardship has fostered a "tough it out" mentality. Expressing emotional pain is sometimes seen as a failure of strength.

• Misinformation and Fear: Mental illness is frequently misconstrued, with disorders such as depression or anxiety referred to as "madness" or "behaving foolishly." Families might conceal relatives with mental health issues due to embarrassment.

• Lack of Access to Care: In numerous Caribbean countries, mental health resources are limited and poorly financed, making it more challenging for individuals to pursue assistance even when they desire it.

Being an African American woman with Caribbean heritage, raised by parents of Bajan and Jamaican/Cuban ancestry, I particularly cherish festive occasions like these to honor and value my roots. Lastly, I use this time for advocacy. As an adult who came to understand that her mother had an untreated mental illness, I stress the importance of being not only culturally conscious, but also emotionally and mentally mindful, to encourage generational healing within our community.

Be Well!!

May Is Mental Health Awareness Month

Happy Mental Health Awareness Month!! Hoping everyone has had a healthy and fulfilling May, but of course, we never limit this to just one month. Plain and simple, bringing awareness of mental health saves and enhances lives. We’ve come a long way in spreading the word, educating ourselves and others, and supporting those, including ourselves, who are in need. Remember, you don't have to have a diagnosis to be affected or have mental health issues.

Adults and school-aged children have been dealing with mental health challenges and poor self-esteem, which have worsened since the pandemic. Some people are still recovering from the effects of the pandemic and the current inflationary period. Mental health has always been a fundamental challenge in the United States, with rates that continue to rise. Many issues contribute to the scarcity of mental health care, including high costs and inadequate insurance coverage, few options, lengthy waiting lists, lack of awareness, and social stigma. Our communities continue to suffer the consequences and cry out for more accessibility resources that can help close some of the gaps by providing mental health programs for our youth and adults.

Many standard treatments have failed to help our youth who struggle to communicate. Some youth continue to have challenges with expressing their thoughts and feelings. When it comes to financing and delivering a more inclusive, affordable, and accessible educational experience, our public school system faces several obstacles. Bringing awareness to mental health breaks the stigma associated with conditions such as depression and anxiety, enables individuals to identify symptoms promptly, and motivates people to pursue transformative support. As per Pine Rest Mental Health Services, a mental illness is a physical condition of the brain that leads to disruptions in thinking, behavior, mood, or emotion, hindering one's ability to manage the everyday challenges of life. Studies are beginning to reveal the intricate factors behind these illnesses, which may involve genetics, brain chemistry, brain structure, undergoing trauma, and/or possessing another health issue, such as heart disease (Holthaus, 2026).

I've consistently supported mental health awareness, as it resonates with me personally, being an adult who had to discover the challenges of having parents with untreated mental health problems. My mother particularly battled untreated mental problems, but declined to acknowledge them or seek help. Her mental health challenges impacted all aspects of her life, including parenting, personal hygiene, education/intellect, daily activities, and professional life. During our childhood, my brother and I faced abuse and neglect due to her unresolved problems and unwillingness to take responsibility or improve, so sadly, we had to cope with it. Up until now, she still hasn't sought help; my father had his problems, too, but he was harmful to my mother, exploiting her mental and emotional issues.

It wasn't an easy road, but with music, dance, and love for adventure, I found an escape. As a healed and healing adult, I assist those currently facing similar struggles in my profession. As an adult, you really grasp the concept of the old saying, "If they wanted to, they would." I delve deeper into this topic in my book. I can, however, say that no matter what, there will always be individuals who opt to stay in denial and avoid treatment, which frankly reveals that they could never truly care for you or anyone else, as they lack sufficient care for themselves. If not addressed, mental health issues can result in higher medical expenses, a significant decline in academic and work performance, a decline in employment opportunities, and an increased risk of suicide.

Stay well!