Meinders Community Library

The holidays are upon us and not everyone is holly and jolly this time of year.  It can be hard to navigate the rough waters of your mental health, especially during the holidays.  Some may face loneliness while missing their loved ones.  Others may feel stressed about finances or providing for their family.  If you’re feeling a mix of emotions, you are not alone.  Struggling during the holidays is not uncommon.  Here are some things you can do to cope with the “Holiday Blues” and focus on what really matters.

• Acknowledge Your Feelings and Set Boundaries.  Give yourself permission to feel sad, lonely, or stressed.  It’s normal.  Prioritize what’s important and learn to say “NO” to overwhelming activities.
• Prioritize Self Care.  Spend time outdoors, build in time to take breaks and explore a hobby, do some meditation or deep breathing, celebrate large and small successes, get enough sleep, and avoid excessive alcohol and food.
• Maintain Routine and Stay Connected.  Keep up with sleep, meals, and exercise.  Spend time with friends and family.  Share your feelings with them and seek help when needed.

The CredibleMind website is a wonderful mental health resource.  It offers hundreds of topics to browse and also has assessments you can take.  December 3rd – 31st, you can take the “Are the Holidays Causing You Stress” assessment for a chance to win a $50 gift card!  All you have to do is create an account and sign in to be entered.  (Your responses are confidential and no individual assessment results will be shared.)  By creating an account, you can save completed assessments and also mark your favorite content to look back at later.  It is a great place to connect with resources when you need them. Below are some additional resources that you can reach out to if you are ever struggling with your mental health.

988Lifeline. The 988 Lifeline is available 24/7/365 to call, text, or chat online. Your conversations are free and confidential. Whether you’re facing mental health struggles, emotional distress, alcohol or drug use concerns, or just need someone to talk to, the caring counselors are there for you. You are not alone.

Mental Health Minnesota Warmline. The Minnesota Warmline provides peer support and a connection with others. For many people, the Warmline is an important tool that helps them avoid mental health crisis and use of crisis services, 911 and hospital emergency departments. Calls are answered by peer support staff who have first-hand experience living with a mental health condition and are available to listen to you, provide support, and connect you with resources. And if you’re in need of more help, they can directly connect you to the nearest crisis services. Open Seven Days a Week, 9 AM to 9 PM. Call toll free 1-855-927-6546, or text “Support” to 85511.

Wellness in the Woods: Peer Support Connection MN Warmline. It’s a safe and supportive place for people to call and speak with peers who are there to listen and support adults experiencing emotional distress. Open 7 days a week from 5:00 PM to 9:00 AM. Call 1-844-739-6369.

So, whether you are celebrating alone, or gathering with family and friends, I do hope your holidays are holly and jolly and full of cheer! Until next time, stay happy, healthy, and safe! ~Sally~

This month, I’m going to talk about mental health victories and milestones.  Acknowledging and celebrating these successes, both big and small, can boost confidence, increase motivation, and reinforce positive behavior.  These could be significant achievements, like therapy completion or time without self harm, or small, every day achievements, like getting out of bed, completing daily tasks, or practicing self care.

There are several ways to acknowledge and celebrate the different milestones and victories related to your mental health and well-being.  You can keep a journal: Write down your thoughts, feelings, and daily wins to track your progress.  Share the joy with others: Tell a trusted friend, a family member, or your counselor about your victory.  Reward yourself: Use positive reinforcement, like a small treat or fun activity to celebrate your progress.  Focus on the positive: Actively recognize your abilities and celebrate your progress, which can help combat negative thought patterns and build your self-esteem.

As I cruise through my mental health journey, it doesn’t come without winding roads, wrong turns, dead ends and detours.  That’s why I make it a priority to celebrate achievements along the way.  This month, I will recognize three successes in my journey.  The first being six months free of self harm.  It’s not something I am proud to admit, but I am definitely proud to have made it half a year without cutting.  The second being survival.  Six years ago, I was severely depressed and tried to end my life.  I have LIVED six years after wanting not to.  And even though I am thriving now, it isn’t always easy.  I fight like crazy every single day to stay functioning and to make it another day.  And that brings me to my third success.  Counseling.  Three years strong with appointments to help me along the way.  What started out as a weekly session, is now a monthly check in.  I am strong enough to know, that if something feels off or if I start to regress, I make my appointments closer together.  Had I known years ago that talking to a complete stranger and taking some medication could make me feel better, I would have done it much sooner!  That is what makes everyone’s mental health journey very different and very unpredictable.  Ebbs and flows.  Ups and downs.  Wrong turns and detours.

So, how do I celebrate these achievements during my journey?  That depends on the individual success.  I’ve come far enough in my journey to acknowledge yearly events.  But with my self harm starting from zero on May 1st, I acknowledge one month at a time until I reach one year, and then yearly after that.  It’s kind of like those workplace signs that say “It has been X amount of days since our last accident” that hang by the timeclock.  I’ve learned that taking things one day at a time is all I can do to achieve forward progress.  And if I regress or have a relapse, I pick myself up and start over again.  Yearly treats to celebrate my victories are a must!  Whether it be a sweet treat or a self-care outing, it is well deserved for my achievement!

Journaling is also a big part of my celebrations and healing.  Good or bad, I try to write a couple sentences about my day in a notebook.  This also helps me when I see my counselor and I can fill them in on my ups and downs since our previous session.  It can establish patterns of emotions and the what, when, and why it was happening.  That way, I can look back and work on different coping skills and figure out what works best for me when it happens again.

So, whether you journal, share your joy, or reward yourself, every achievement is a victory and should be celebrated!  It is kind of like having more than one birthday a year!  Six years ago I started over and I mark the yearly milestone by sharing my joy and accomplishments with others, and also enjoying a sweet treat. I also have a rockstar library squad that cheers me on along the way!

Until next time, stay happy, healthy, and safe!  ~Sally~

World Mental Health Day brings our community together to break the silence around mental health. On October 10, NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) invites you to be part of a global conversation to raise awareness and advocate for mental health care worldwide. It’s our moment to share stories, advocate for change, and ensure quality mental health care reaches everyone.

When communities unite—advocates, providers, families, and individuals—we create real change. Together, we spotlight progress, address gaps, and build the support systems our world needs. Because mental health is health. And in community, everyone finds hope.

Strong communities create strong mental health support networks. Encourage grassroots participation and community-driven solutions. Get involved locally: host an awareness event, collaborate with schools or faith communities, or partner with local leaders. Contact your elected officials to advocate for policies that expand access to care, improve crisis response systems, and support early intervention. Remind community members that advocacy is for everyone — small actions together make a big difference.

Never be afraid to ask the question “Are You OK?” if you think someone is struggling or in crisis. If someone confides in you, always do what you can to help. We need to support each other and make the connections needed to be mentally healthy. If there’s one thing to take away from today, please know that the world needs you here. Behind every statistic is a person, a family, and a community.

Until next time, stay happy, healthy, and safe! ~Sally~