Beyond the Crisis: A Few Practical Ways to Nourish Your Mental Health Today

The Universe is Within You by Saterah Argyle

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, depressed, disgusted, afraid, angry, and/or completely numb about the state of things right now, I want to tell you something: you are not alone. 

Many of us are struggling in a variety of ways, including me. I didn't write in the blog for nearly six months because I've been weighed down in grief, fear, and just plain old "stuckness." I am trying to get unstuck by writing a piece about mental health. My goal is to offer some validation and encouragement to anyone who needs it.

So, let’s first acknowledge the hard stuff. The American Psychological Association and other organizations have recently declared a collective mental health crisis, and honestly, it’s no wonder. The last few years have handed us layer upon layer of global challenges, from the deep structural aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic to shifting economic realities and more.

It is easy to feel entirely paralyzed by the heartache. Across the globe, ongoing wars and systemic crises have displaced a record 100 million children and families from their homes. Closer to home, we see devastating reports of deadly violence in schools and communities. As a whole, we are politically polarized, isolated, and stressed to the max.

So, what do we do when both the world at large and the state of our internal minds feel like they are in crisis? How do we find a path toward problem-solving, healing, and changing the status quo?

Flipping the Script: The Power of Thriving

Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, let’s use awareness as it is meant to be used: as the first step toward positive change.

For decades, psychology focused almost entirely on a "deficit model"-- looking at what was broken, crappy, or diseased in the human mind and trying to fix it. But Dr. Martin Seligman, the father of Positive Psychology, flipped that script entirely. He argued that mental health isn't just the absence of anxiety or misery; it is the presence of thriving.

To explain what it means to live a full and vibrant life, Seligman developed the PERMA Model. This framework suggests that true well-being is built on five core pillars:

• P – Positive Emotion: Experiencing peace, gratitude, and love in the present moment.

• E – Engagement: Becoming fully immersed and present in our daily lives.

• R – Relationships: Forming deep, meaningful, and authentic connections with others.

• M – Meaning: Believing our lives have purpose and connecting to something bigger than ourselves.

• A – Accomplishment: Pursuing growth, learning, and intentional goals.

Honestly ask yourself how "well" you are feeling in each of these realms? If there’s room for improvement, what steps can you take? We cannot always control the macro-level chaos of the world, but we can intentionally exercise our brains to cultivate some sort of inner peace.

Here are three active, scientifically explored practices you can try today to nourish your mental health and start thriving. There are loads of other practices out there of course, but I’m focusing on these three because they have personally helped me in my mental health journey.

PRACTICE #1: Cultivate a More Mindful and Loving Mindset

(Nourishing: Positive Emotion & Engagement)

It all starts in our neural pathways and cognitive framework. Love is an incredibly powerful force to both give and receive, and cultivating it directly creates a sense of psychological safety and comfort. "It's all about love" might be cliche or cheesy, but I don't care: it's so true.

One of the most effective ways to grow this internal baseline of love and kindness is through mindful attention or meditation. Mindfulness is not just a modern wellness fad. Mindfulness has been discussed in ancient Buddhist and Hindu texts and practiced for thousands of years. Today, neuroimaging studies show fascinating, real-time changes in our brain structures as well as shifts in our behavior and beliefs as a result of regular mindfulness. 

The practice trains us to be kind and gentle with ourselves, to observe uncomfortable emotions without getting swallowed up by them, and to remember that all feelings eventually pass. When we extend compassion to ourselves, it becomes the foundation upon which everything else can flow.

It’s a simple truth, but not always easy to remember and practice on a daily basis. Even if we spend a few minutes focusing on our breath or pause to notice our surroundings, we are practicing mindfulness.

PRACTICE #2: Learn New Dialogue Skills

(Nourishing: Relationships and Accomplishment)

Human beings are wired for connection. Since we are social creatures, we experience "wellness" when we feel seen, heard, and understood by another person. Unfortunately, navigating conversations in our highly polarized culture can feel like walking through a minefield, especially when worldviews and moral codes seem drastically far apart.

But communication breakdown is exactly what feeds early seeds of hostility and isolation! To protect our collective mental health, we must prioritize learning new, intentional dialogue skills. In your next conversation, whether it's at the dinner table or a workplace meeting, try listening to understand the person rather than listening to respond. Try to replace frustration with curiosity.

When we approach different perspectives with genuine curiosity rather than defensive debates, we often find that our common ground is much wider than we thought. To help navigate tricky socio-political conversations without losing your peace, I highly recommend reading Beyond Your Bubble by Dr. Tania Israel and utilizing her practical conversation flowchart.

PRACTICE #3: Seek Awe-Inspiring Perspectives

(Nourishing: Meaning)

When our daily lives feel heavy, one of the quickest ways to disrupt the stress cycle is to zoom out to the biggest possible picture. 

Look at the cosmos, for example. The James Webb Space Telescope has captured deep, unseen parts of our universe with mind-boggling clarity. When you look at those images, it becomes clear that we humans are but tiny specks on a gigantic matrix of space and matter -- and yet, our tiny specks matter immensely!

Carina Nebula by James Webb Space Telescope

You are entirely made of the exact same elemental material born inside ancient exploding stars; you share a genetic blueprint and elemental history with every single living being that has ever existed on this planet!

Leaning into this feeling -- the psychological emotion of AWE -- is incredibly transformative and humbling. Some research shows that experiencing awe can dramatically reduce our internal stress and inspire us to feel more connected to the global human community. We are not alone in this vast, mysterious world. We are entirely interconnected with the universe and each other.

That's so f******* cool! 

The Self-Experiment Challenge

These three practices aren't a magical, 100% guarantee for immediate internal or worldwide peace, but they are accessible, evidence-informed starting points. They don't require fancy equipment, an expensive gym membership, or a massive investment of time.

Run an experiment on yourself this week:

1. Test Practice #1: Sit still and follow a simple 5-minute guided mindfulness meditation on YouTube. Search around for the one that suits your style and needs. For meditations focused on loving-kindness specifically, I recommend this one by Tara Brach. You can also just take a few moments to put down your phone, breathe intentionally, and notice your surroundings (through sights, smells, touch) to center yourself. Notice how your body responds.

   
   

2. Test Practice #2: In your very next conversation with someone you disagree with, pause. Take a deep breath. Do your absolute best to listen intently, with your whole attention, asking open questions born of pure curiosity. To ground yourself, try keeping this political conversation flowchart handy if politics is the topic!

   
   

3. Test Practice #3: Step outside tonight. Look up at the sky and consciously zoom your perspective out to the ever-expanding universe. Consider the vastness relative to our teeny tiny bodies on planet earth, which is just a spherical rock moving through space. (Gosh, I just love space). But, if zooming out just doesn’t 'do it' for you, try zooming in. Notice the small things like the hundreds of life forms and millions of microbes in the garden.

   
   

Yes, these are relatively small, individual-level adjustments. But positive mental shifts have a beautiful habit of multiplying. When you cultivate a healthier, more peaceful internal world, that peace ripples outward to your family, your community, and ultimately, our world.

I hope this message reaches anyone who needs it. If you have other helpful mental health tips to suggest, I’d love to hear from you. 

May you be safe. May you be happy. May you be loved. May you feel at peace. 

If you’ve read this far, and you are still feeling completely overwhelmed -- or if you wonder whether anyone actually sees you in your struggle, this poem, written by one of my students, is for you.

You Matter

by Grayson Anderson

You matter. 

I know it's hard to see– 

And even hard to hear. 

But I can promise you it's true.

You matter. 

I know it’s hard to be 

when life is rarely clear, 

but I see the grace within you.

You matter. 

I know you feel unheard when you plead, 

and you may lose much that you hold dear, 

but I value you and all that you do.

You matter. 

I know you feel lost in life's endless sea. 

It's hard to know which direction to steer. 

But I see your curiosity, your adventurousness– 

and I know you do too.

You long to be free. 

Yet feel stifled, by indecision and fear. 

But I think, if nurtured– 

you would be astonished by how much you could grow.

You struggle to feel and express your joy. 

It’s hard when life has been made austere.

But I notice your awe– 

when you glance at the morning dew.

You matter. 

You matter to me.

I know it’s difficult to remember. 

I know I matter to you too.

All your hopes. 

All your dreams. 

All your ideas. 

All your silent screams.

Just know I see you. 

Just know I feel it too.

Above all else, 

just know–

You matter.