The theme of this year’s Mental Health Week is “Healing through Compassion”. Throughout the week, we encourage you to practice compassion by not only acknowledging suffering but actively demonstrating care and kindness. Compassion can start within yourself and expand to those around you, reaching as far as everyone in Canada. Examples might include giving yourself a compliment, helping a family member, or volunteering in your community.
As you journey through the week, we encourage you to reflect on the questions below. You are welcome to write down your thoughts, engage in quiet reflection, or share with a friend.
Compassion is contagious: Inspire your community to cultivate compassion by sharing this journal or showcasing your actions on social media (don’t forget to tag us! #CompassionConnects #MentalHealthWeek).
What have you learned about compassion this week? How do you typically treat yourself when you make a mistake or experience failure? Compare this to how you would treat a loved one.
Consider any challenges you met while practicing compassion. How might overcoming these challenges contribute to your personal growth and ability to empathize with others?
Think about all the ways you showed kindness to yourself and others and how that felt. How can you incorporate compassion into your daily routine going forward?
Since 2019 SARS-CoV-2 has been destroying and taking lives across the globe. Over the years, more and more people have been devastated by the long-lasting health and financial impacts of a Covid infection. The need for more awareness and advocacy has never been greater.
In 2023 Long Covid patients, caregivers and allies began this Long Covid awareness campaign to unite people across the globe to:
Increase Long Covid visibility
Prevent COVID infections
Empower patients
Share support and resources
Educate about the symptoms of Long Covid
Highlight the need to fund relevant research
The three colors in the ribbon represent:past present and future of Long Covid
Gray: Loss and Grief
Teal: Hope and Support
Black: Loneliness and Isolation
International Long Covid Awareness Day: March 15th
February is recognized as “Psychology Month” in Canada, and this designation holds significant importance. Mental illness stands as one of the primary causes of disability, highlighting the necessity of increased awareness. By fostering greater understanding, we aim to ensure that everyone comprehends the profound impact it can have on an individual’s ability to function effectively.
In 2024, Psychology Month in Canada is centered around the pressing issue of the climate crisis. This theme underscores the crucial connection between human behavior and climate change and prompts us to consider how we can address the issue from a psychological perspective.
Human behavior significantly shapes climate change through various actions, such as consumption patterns, transportation choices, and energy usage. Recognizing this, we can approach the climate crisis by understanding the psychological factors driving these behaviors and implementing strategies to encourage sustainable actions on individual, community, and societal levels.
Furthermore, climate change has profound effects on mental health, including increased anxiety, stress, and trauma due to environmental disasters, displacement, and uncertainty about the future. It’s imperative to address these mental health impacts by providing support, resources, and interventions to affected individuals and communities.
Psychologists play a crucial role in all phases of our collective response to the climate crisis. Many are actively involved in research, advocacy, policy development, and community outreach to raise awareness, promote sustainable behaviors, and mitigate the damage from this global catastrophe.
As individuals, we can also contribute to the solution by educating ourselves about the psychological aspects of climate change, adopting sustainable practices in our daily lives, advocating for environmental policies, and supporting mental health initiatives that address the impacts of climate change. Together, we can work towards a healthier planet and a brighter future for all.
Human behavior significantly shapes climate change through various actions, such as consumption patterns, transportation choices, and energy usage. Recognizing this, we can approach the climate crisis by understanding the psychological factors driving these behaviors and implementing strategies to encourage sustainable actions on individual, community, and societal levels.