Life’s daily demands can often feel overwhelming, triggering stress as a natural response. A little bit of stress every once in a while is normal, but when stress is left unaddressed, it can have adverse effects on both our physical and mental well-being. Some of these effects include anxiety, depression, digestive issues, headaches, muscle tension and pain, heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke, sleep problems, weight gain, and memory and concentration impairment. Recognizing this need, our Community Mental Health Education (CMHE) program has introduced a new topic: Stress Management and Self-Care.
The CMHE program is a part of our community mental health services for survivors of human trafficking and gender-based violence. CMHE sessions are interactive learning sessions designed to raise awareness and provide practical applications for promoting mental health and emotional wellness. These sessions are conducted with survivors, their families, and community partners to encourage open communication about mental health, combat stigma, and create a space where individuals can express themselves without fear or judgment.
The topic on Stress Management and Self-Care is designed to equip participants with tangible strategies and techniques to effectively navigate stressors while prioritizing self-care. Through this session, participants gain insights into the definition of stress and self-care, signs of stress and its different responses, myths and facts about self-care, and the impact of stress on one’s mental health. Attendees also learn how to develop personalized self-care routines tailored to fit their individual needs. Upon launching this new CMHE module, multiple sessions were conducted for both survivors and service providers. Participants shared positive feedback on their experiences:
“It is really helpful to learn about stress management and practice self-care. It is important to pay attention to how you interact with yourself and learn to love yourself. I’m so grateful to be a part of this program and for teaching us to become more confident. You really encourage us to grow and change our lives for the better. Thank you so much to all of you.”
Another participant shared:
“Thank you so much, Eleison, for creating this program. It has been a great help in managing my stress. I have learned how to identify my stressors and respond to them effectively, such as writing down my problems.”
In addition to Stress Management and Self-Care, we offer topics on Health and Wellness and Healthy Ways of Managing Emotions. Health and Wellness explores the different dimensions of health and discusses personalized ways of taking care of one’s health holistically to achieve wellness, while Managing Emotions provides practical applications for identifying, understanding, and managing one’s emotions. If you’d like to learn more about our CMHE sessions or are interested in having CMHE activities at your organization, email us at info@eleisonfoundation.org or message us here.
