January Is Mental Wellness Month — Awareness Statement
Kamilah Martin-Proctor • January 25, 2024
January Is Mental Wellness Month — Awareness Statement
When you take care of your mental health, your physical and emotional health improves; you become more resilient; and it makes it easier to find ways to manage life stressors in a healthy and positive way. Mental health is affected by many things, such as work, school, relationships, financial problems, and excessive stress.
Celebrate Mental Wellness Month — National Mental Wellness Month. is a time to bring awareness to mental health disorders, break the stigma, and encourage anyone to seek help. Blue Monday is usually the third Monday in January. It is reportedly the saddest day of the year. This year, make Blue Monday and the rest of the month a celebration in honor of mental wellness.
This year, Mental Health Awareness Month message, — “I’m More Than Enough.”
Mental Health Awareness Month was established in 1949 to increase awareness of the importance of mental health and wellness. For the past 20 years, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
“Mental wellness involves being able to cope effectively with the difficulties of life, having an awareness of your own abilities and opportunities, and having healthy relationships with yourself and others,” said Sheri Dawson, director of the Division of Behavioral Health at DHHS. “The key to mental wellness is being proactive and taking care of our mental well-being before issues arise. By focusing on improving mental wellness and building resiliency, you can overcome the hurdles of life and thrive. It is always a good time to work on mental wellness. Identify one small step you can take to improve and stick with it. People with healthy emotional wellness are confident, have control over their feelings and behavior, and have good coping mechanisms for dealing with difficult situations.”
There are eight areas to consider that impact your overall wellness.
Eight areas of wellness:
- Mental: Capacity for knowledge, insight, confidence
- Physical: All that contributes to how our body feels/functions
- Emotional: Highs and lows of emotions, feelings
- Spiritual: Belief system not necessarily formal religion
- Social: Connection and community
- Personal: Interests, joy, fulfillment
- Professional: Roles at work, career goals
- Medical: Health numbers or statistics
Tips to enhance mental wellness:
- Follow the after-work checklist: Review (acknowledge a challenge you faced, take a deep breath, and let it go); Reflect (however small, consider and appreciate positives in your day); Regroup (offer support to your colleagues and ask for help when you need it) and re-energize (turn your attention to home and focus on relaxing and resting.)
- Create a mental health wellness plan: Create a guide of coping skills, people to talk to in stressful situations, and enjoyable activities to ensure that you maintain the balance between your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
- Practice self-acceptance: Use the new year as an opportunity to practice self-acceptance and self-esteem.
- Put yourself first: Self-care isn’t selfish. It’s important to take time every day for yourself and your mental health. Engage in something that is meaningful and brings you joy. Do what helps you relax and recharge, and seek out experiences that have a calming effect.
- Learn a new skill: Creative hobbies can provide a sense of pride and achievement.
- Exercise: Exercising for at least 30 minutes every day can help alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety. Go for a walk, ride a bike, take a fitness class, or play a sport with friends and family.
- Be grateful: Practicing gratitude every day can invoke feelings of thankfulness and optimism that make managing challenges easier. Don’t beat yourself up when you make a mistake — everyone makes them.
- Eat well: A balanced diet contributes to both physical and mental health.
- Get enough sleep: Most health authorities recommend that adults get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each day. Avoid caffeine after lunchtime.
- Slow down: Notice with intention the things you are doing. Draw your awareness to the moment especially those that are positive.
- Ask for help when you need it: It’s a sign of strength to reach out to resources and supports when your mental wellness is suffering.
An exploration of how accessibility features in emerging technologies improve user experience for consumers with disabilities.
Happy International Day of Persons with Disabilities! WID is proud to celebrate the leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world today and every day!
The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced three new federal appointees to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Board. The Board of Directors, which includes members from Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia, and the federal government, helps determine WMATA’s policies and oversees issues such as funding, operations, and expansion. Federal appointees serve a four-year term. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s appointees include: Kamilah Martin-Proctor – Principal (voting) Director Sarah Kline – Principal (voting) Director Bryna Helfer – Alternate (non-voting) Director “The U.S. Department of Transportation is thrilled to put forth this talented, experienced, diverse group to help guide one of the nation’s most important public transit systems as it navigates the COVID pandemic and plans for long-term recovery and growth,” Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg said. “In addition to welcoming our new appointees, I also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to the departing federal appointees who have dedicated their time and expertise to ensuring WMATA’s success.” Departing appointees include: Steve McMillin – Principal (voting) Director Devin Rouse – Alternate (non-voting) Director Anthony E. Costa – Alternate (non-voting) Director About the incoming appointees: Kamilah Martin-Proctor, Chair, Washington D.C. Commission on Persons with Disabilities Kamilah Martin-Proctor currently serves as 2021 Chair, Washington D.C. Commission on Persons with Disabilities (DCCPD). She is a National Disability Institute board member and has worked and consulted in the disability/diversity/inclusion world for more than 20 years. In addition, she also serves on the Board of the World Institute on Disability (WID), is a British-American Project Fellow and was the WDC 2020 United State of Women Ambassador. Martin Proctor received a B.A. in Political Science and an M.A. in Organizational and Cultural Communication from Howard University. She is a lifelong resident and fourth generation Washingtonian. Sarah Kline, SK Solutions, LLC Sarah Kline is a consultant who formerly led policy development for two national nonprofit organizations, Transportation for America, and Reconnecting America. She served as Director of Policy and Government Relations at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority in the National Capital Region. She also spent eight years working at the U. S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs as counsel for transit policy, during which time she negotiated the transit provisions of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). Sarah graduated magna cum laude with a degree in history from Harvard University and received her law degree from Stanford Law School. Bryna Helfer, Asst. County Manager and Director of Communications and Public Engagement, Arlington County Bryna Helfer is Assistant County Manager and Director of Communications and Public Engagement for Arlington County, Virginia. Prior to joining Arlington County, she was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Engagement for the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). She also served as the Senior Advisor to the USDOT Secretary on Accessibility and Workforce Development. Bryna holds a B.S. in Therapeutic Recreation from Ohio University, Athens, OH, an M.A. in Rehabilitation Services from George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, and a Doctorate in Education from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
Former Vice-Chair of President Obama‘s National Council on Disability Kamilah Martin-Proctor discussed how unconscious bias impedes on the employment of people with disabilities.
COVID Mental Health, other Stigmas "Hiding behind the Mask COVID19 and Disability Stigma The Howard University Annual International Conference on Stigma is an inter-disciplinary event that brings together scholars, practitioners and people from all walks of life with various backgrounds (e.g., public health, government and public policy, psychology, medicine, sociology, anthropology, allied health professions, education, law, activism, and the lay public) to consider research, policy, rhetoric, and practice around the issue of stigma. This session uses the current COVID19 pandemic as a backdrop and showcases two learned professionals who will break down how stigma affects persons with disabilities in the workplace and how mental health stigma impact millions worldwide. Moderator: Dr. Edwin Powell, DA Ed., Mental Health Expert, International Human Rights Advocate Video Story, Sharon Wise and Oc87 Recovery Diaries A Letter to Niyyah: Trauma Under the Bridge Panelists: Kendall Moody, PhD, LCSW, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, Howard University, So You Think I'm Crazy?! Kamilah Oni Martin-Proctor, MA, Founder, Martin Multiple Sclerosis Alliance Foundation (MMSAF), Addressing disability Stigma in the Workplace
Our project’s 28th media partner is Kamilah Martin-Proctor, founder and Executive Director of the Martin Multiple Sclerosis Alliance Foundation (MMSAF). She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when she was sixteen.