Look around! 👀 What do you see? Mental Health Awareness Month in the AOC

Hi friends,

Welcome to May! The month of May always brings about anxious energy for me as I am winding down the school year for my boys, entering a transition into summertime and its (unfortunate) lack of structure, and the inevitability of facing the trauma I endured during the summer of 2021 when I first realized I needed mental health support.

I look at the month of May now with a more open heart, understanding, and respect for my unique needs as a neurodivergent person. It's only fitting that Mental Health Awareness Month falls in May.

As we begin Mental Health Awareness Month, let's first discuss how our environment and surroundings can significantly impact our mental well-being. I often use an analogy to illustrate this point: just as a plant cannot thrive in dry soil, a dark room, and without proper care, neither can we. To truly flourish, we need to be nurtured, supported, and valued.

Our environment plays a vital role in our mental health and wellness.

Here are some good reasons why this is the case:

Community care matters. 👐 

Community care is like self-care on a macro scale. It is like the raft that can carry you through white water rapids, ensuring your safety and care as you navigate tumultuous times. Community care is vital in holding you through systemic barriers like racism, ableism, capitalism, and more. It would be unfair of me to talk about community care without mentioning these because we can only go so far as individuals to protect our peace, feel safe in our minds and bodies, and cultivate an environment where we can begin to think about our goals and not just trying to survive.

The power of being face to face, again. 😌 

As navigation through the pandemic kept many of us homebound to stay healthy, the world has opened up again, giving way to (hopefully) safe, in-person interactions. Humans are social creatures by nature, and as loneliness and depression kept us tightly gripped these last few years, many people are yearning for connection and conversation. Our mental health depends deeply on an environment where social interactions are woven into our priorities.

Mother nature heals. Really. 🏞️ 

As the warmer months (here in the Northern Hemisphere!) are upon us, the sun will be shining, the temperatures rising, and the outdoors will call us to nurture ourselves. How do you take time outdoors to help support your mental health? Safely seeking sensory stimulation outside can create a more peaceful outlook on your day. A simple walk around your neighborhood, gardening on your patio, or listening to the birds can be a balm in such a busy and overstimulating world.

Personal space creates personal peace. 🏡 

Our spaces are reflections of our comfort as well as our stressors. As neurodivergent people, we can feel overwhelmed by our perception of a mess and when things aren't where they should be. Taking time to make your space work for you will help cultivate peace in your personal space. Remember: one person's idea of an organized personal space may differ from yours. Release the shame, and do what works for you.

Time as a "place." 🕰️ 

Our schedules and routines can be a practice in creating time-bound environmental boundaries, as our most precious resource as neurodivergent people is the time we dedicate to ourselves and our self-preservation. Using tools and strategies to maximize your personal time, whether through self-care practices, engagement in cherished hobbies, or restorative wellness, will only benefit you in the long run.

I hope this newsletter helps you understand our environment's role in your mental health and wellness.

Llama Life is generously sponsoring all newsletters during Mental Health Awareness Month. My favorite time and task management tool takes hang-ups like procrastination and task paralysis and sprinkles my to-do list with novelty and fun to keep me focused and on task. Start your one-week free trial here, and if you love it (like I do), purchase a one-year membership for only $30! Here's what's on my Llama Life task manager for today.

Don't forget our Zoomies, Doomies, and Gloomies, Oh My! Procrastination Webinar is in two days! Register here for free, and if you cannot make it live, the recording will be emailed to you following the presentation.😉

The Accessible Book Club begins next Tuesday! We are diving into Emily and Amelia Nagoski’s Burnout Workbook. Join the AOC now to be included!

Next week, we will learn about the connection between self-awareness, self-compassion, and neurodivergence. It's bound to be a great, reflective newsletter to help spark some inner work. See you then!

Otterly yours,

Izzie

P.S. Here's another link to our website again in case you forgot to click it earlier!🙂 accotters.com

P.P.S. Forward this email to a friend who might need a newsletter like this. You never know who will benefit from our discussion in the Accountable Otters Club.