S.O.S. Care Inbox

We hope this newsletter inspires you to take time this spring to reflect on the dreams you have for yourself. Whether big or small, maybe now is the time to bring your dream to life and start something better for you!

Starting over may seem hard. Sometimes Impossible. But here's what I've learned about how to rebuild your life around your greatest dreams...and what happens once you do.... Chiara founded Led By HER an organization that mobilizes communities to help women who have suffered from violence become entrepreneurs. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.

Small investments in ourselves can make big changes in this world! The S.O.S. Committee encourages you to do something that brings you joy everyday and share some joy with others.

This year our theme is Look Around, Look Within, and we’re asking you to challenge yourself to look at the world around you and think about how the places you live, work, play, and gather impact your mental health.

Visit our new and improved hub for all things May is Mental Health Month to:

• learn about how your surroundings affect well-being,
• find free tools for spreading mental health awareness,
• access new DIY worksheets,
• participate in virtual events throughout the month,
• and more!

If you haven’t downloaded our 2023 toolkit, you can still access the toolkit for free, practical resources – which are also now also available in Spanish.

Research shows that people who practice gratitude - who think about the good things in their life - are healthier and happier!

Gratitude helps:

• Improve social connections and relationships
• Protect from stress and increases resilience
• Boost energy levels
• Increase self-esteem
• Adds a sense of meaning

Before Teaching Gratitude

• Start by explaining that there is physical health and mental health.
  • For example, you might say something like: “When your throat hurts or you break a bone, you go to the doctor. Our throat and bones are part of our physical health. We do things to stay physically healthy, like eating foods that are good for us. Can you think of other things that help us stay physically healthy?”
  • Children may have ideas like exercising, brushing teeth, wearing sunscreen, etc.
• Follow up with that while we may feel physically well one day, we might have an ache or pain or sore throat another day.
• Explain to them that the same thing happens with our thoughts and feelings. Our thoughts and feelings make up our mental health.
  • Ask your child about times when they feel excited and happy and times when they may feel sad or confused. Be sure to share your own examples.

Remember that all feelings – excited, worried, happy, scared, unsure – are okay. One way to promote our mental health can be to remember what we are grateful for.

Handouts

Download and use the handouts to help practice gratitude.

• Growing Our Gratitude can help you think of things that you’re grateful for. You can think of things in your environment, people in your life, or personal successes. Help children identify character traits (I work hard, I like to sing) instead of external or superficial things (I have the best shoes).
• We’ve also provided two different kinds of notecards that you can print and give to loved ones, friends or others that children want to express gratitude for.
• And you’ll find the 7 Days of Gratitude that can help your family create a daily habit of finding things to be grateful for. We know these kinds of daily practices are what truly makes an impact to our mental health. Consider talking about it over the dinner table. What did you learn from trying to write down things you were grateful for every day for a week?

Get started by downloading the worksheets to help you talk about gratitude with the children in your life. Then share with us, and your friends and family, using the hashtag #OnOurSleeves on how you’re practicing gratitude!

This month we want to highlight those who showed support and appreciation by using Kudos in their work place. Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication, Hadley Schuermann and Brittany Collins!

Nationwide Children's Hospital

Main campus H5 SW

Hadley was on top of her game! She was very attentive to the needs of the child in their care and the team as a whole. Hadley was easy to get a hold of via email or phone, and was able to get questions answered quickly!! Thank you for all you did during our kiddos hospital stay!

Nominated by: Laura Keenan

Newark City Schools

Kudos:

Brittany is always the first person to offer help, a kind word, and patience for all. She is incredibly smart without ever putting anyone else down if they lack understanding. She dedicated to helping support our famlies, children, and Newark City Schools. She has created support groups, gone to countless meeting so she can find more ways to help families, attended so many trainings, partnered with others, and done all of this while raising her two beautiful daughters and being a loving wife. Brittany is a person that you genuinely like to be around. She puts her kind nature into work everyday, to the betterment of us all. Thank you for giving me the chance to highlight a wonderful person.

Nominated by: Allison Riley

The S.O.S Committee will be holding drawings for gift card prizes to those who submit their Kudos for our newsletter. Please consider supporting your fellow community members by using the Kudos file below to create a note for those who deserve encouragement, acknowledgement and thanks.

Now they're sending me threatening letters!

What are the next two letters in this series?

J F M A M J J A S O ?

Email: Sylvia.friel@jfs.ohio.gov
Phone: 740-670-8844