The Tiger's Mind

10th Edition

A teacher gave a balloon to every student, who had to inflate it, write their name on it, and throw it in the hallway. The teacher then mixed all the balloons. The students were then given 5 minutes to find their own balloon. Despite a hectic search, no one found their balloon.

At that point, the teacher told the students to take the first balloon that they found and hand it to the person whose name was written on it. Within 5 minutes, everyone had their own balloon.

The teacher said to the students: "These balloons are like happiness. We will never find it if everyone is looking for their own. But if we care about other people's happiness, we'll find ours too."

May your day be filled with happiness.

I found your balloon!

Vaping nicotine can make feelings of anxiety and depression worse.

Recent studies have found a link between vaping and mental health issues. In fact, regular nicotine use can worsen anxiety and leave you more susceptible to experiencing symptoms of depression.

Plus, it certainly doesn’t help that vapes and e-cigarettes contain toxic substances like arsenic, aluminum, and lead, which can negatively impact brain function, as well as overall health.

While these facts may leave you feeling a bit uneasy, there are plenty of helpful resources and solutions to help you overcome nicotine addiction and manage the mental health symptoms you may be experiencing.

QUITTING & MENTAL HEALTH

Quitting nicotine can positively impact mental health.

Here’s the good news: There’s now a body of literature showing that quitting nicotine can lead to reduced stress, anxiety, and depression. In fact, studies show that ​​quitting nicotine may have as strong an impact on your mental health as taking antidepressants.

Depression Stick isn’t your average vape company, starting with the fact that it’s 100% fake.

93% of vapers reported vaping nicotine made them more stressed, depressed or anxious.

Take this quiz to discover how you can implement self-care into your routine.

Reclaim Your Breath

Self-care can be a powerful form of activism in the fight against the harmful impacts of addiction.

What a beautiful reminder that the waves, the high seas, the rough waters, the deep waters...it all has a purpose. It has a purpose to make us stronger, more skilled, better, and more equipped. We don't become great by standing on the shoreline watching the waves rise and fall. We must jump out there and learn, evolve, and grow into the strongest we can be.

In short, life won't be easy, but we can take the rough waters and choose to see them as an opportunity, not a curse.

You've got this! High tide and all! :)

Mental Health in Childhood

Raising a child can be challenging. Even under the best circumstances, their behaviors and emotions can change frequently and rapidly. All children are sad, anxious, irritable, or aggressive at times, or they occasionally find it challenging to sit still, pay attention, or interact with others. In most cases, these are just typical developmental phases. However, such behaviors may indicate a more serious problem in some children.

When to Seek Help

If your child’s behavior is unsafe, or if your child talks about wanting to hurt themselves or someone else, seek help immediately call/text 9-1-1 or 9-8-8 for live free assistance anytime.

Young children may benefit from an evaluation and treatment if they:

• Have frequent tantrums or are intensely irritable much of the time
• Often talk about fears or worries
• Complain about frequent stomachaches or headaches with no known medical cause
• Are in constant motion and cannot sit quietly (except when they are watching videos or playing video games)
• Sleep too much or too little, have frequent nightmares, or seem sleepy during the day
• Are not interested in playing with other children or have difficulty making friends
• Struggle academically or have experienced a recent decline in grades
• Repeat actions or check things many times out of fear that something bad may happen

Older children and adolescents may benefit from an evaluation and treatment if they:

• Have lost interest in things that they used to enjoy
• Have low energy
• Sleep too much or too little or seem sleepy throughout the day
• Are spending more and more time alone and avoid social activities with friends or family
• Diet or exercise excessively, or fear gaining weight
• Engage in self-harm behaviors (such as cutting or burning their skin)
• Smoke, drink, or use drugs
• Engage in risky or destructive behavior alone or with friends
• Have thoughts of suicide
• Have periods of highly elevated energy and activity and require much less sleep than usual
• Say that they think someone is trying to control their mind or that they hear things that other people cannot hear

First Steps for Parents

If you are concerned about your child’s mental health, you can start by talking with others who frequently interact with your child. For an example, your child's guidance counselor, school administration, or mental health services coordinator (jen.bafford@tcschools.com 334-415-4125). It is likely these folks will be able to provide you resources to receive assessment and treatment at low or no cost. Sometimes even while at school. Know that in Alabama mental health records are kept completely separate from your student's academic record.

Continue article to read about:

• Choosing a Mental Health Professional
• Assessing Your Child’s Behavior
• Treatment Options
• Working With the SchoolMore Information and Resources

School breaks offer a much-needed pause from academics and a busy school schedule. Students can take this time to relax and get back into activities they didn’t have time for while they were in school. However, this time may also bring some stressors: disrupted schedules, childcare no longer in place, increased time in close settings with family, and other changes. To maintain a balance and your mental health, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has gathered some helpful resources to keep you on track and support you or your child’s mental health needs.

Get more specific tips via the links below:

1. Teens (13-18) During School Breaks

2. Parents Of Teens During School Breaks

3. Parents Of Children 12 And Under During School Breaks

We make it a priority to celebrate others but how often do we recognize our individual achievements or even check on our well-being? With the stressors and responsibilities of daily life or busy times like Mardi Gras season, women often lack energy to invest in their own mental wellness. In fact, many women feel guilty or selfish for prioritizing themselves.

I encourage you to use this month’s emphasis on celebrating women to prioritize your health and wellness. Here are some tips for getting started.

• Set healthy boundaries with others.
• Practice positive self-talk.
• Prioritize mind-body wellness.
• Incorporate self-care.

Make an effort to put your mental health needs first this month. This can encourage healthy habits and improved wellness for the rest of the year.

Some days we have to pay attention to what is going on with our body to prevent negative behaviors. Negative behaviors are most likely to occur when you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. If you identify one of these conditions to be present - address the condition rather than engaging in the negative behavior.

it’s time to reframe thinking about sleep health!

Sleep is a critical pillar of health, like nutrition and physical activity.

• Sleep helps support memory and learning .
• Sleep helps clear waste from the brain and promote brain health
• Sleep supports brain health, and brain health supports sleep
• Sleep supports immune health, and immune health supports sleep
• Sleep helps the immune system to clear bacteria and viruses
• Sleep helps to recycle old cells and maintain our bodies and energy levels

Poor sleep health can have multiple significant impacts on human health.

• Poor sleep has been linked to obesity, diabetes, coronary artery disease, and cardiovascular mortality.
• Poor sleep can lower immune response, creating greater susceptibility to infections that further reduce sleep quality
• Certain sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder are associated with cognitive impairment, dementia, risk of seizures,, and increased risk of stroke
• Poor sleep can result in reduced reaction times, impaired judgment, and cognitive impairment similar in effect to alcohol intoxication
• Drowsiness can impair safe driving even if the driver does not fall asleep

MORE information at: https://www.idorsia.com/our-innovation/target-diseases/insomnia

Did you know that World Sleep Day has been celebrated on the Friday before the Vernal Equinox every year since 2008?

Why always a Friday? So you can shut off those pesky alarms and let your body decide when it’s time to wake up, of course!

But World Sleep Day isn’t just about catching Z’s. Research has shown that sleep plays a critical role in good mental health. According to the National Sleep Foundation, individuals who report poor sleep quality are more likely to experience symptoms of anxiety and depression. Additionally, a study published in the Journal of Sleep Research found that those who sleep less than six hours per night are at a higher risk of developing mental health problems.

With this in mind, you can see why we love our sleep – it’s one way to maintain good mental health. If you’re having trouble snoozing, try these 10 tips to help yourself doze off, stay asleep and wake up in your best frame of mind.

1. Avoid Caffeine Before Bed

2. Meditate

3. Take a Warm Bath

4. Sleep in a Dark Room

5. Exercise Regularly

6. Write It All Down

7. Put Away Your Gadgets

8. Cuddle with Your Pet

9. Enrich Your Diet with Sleep-Friendly Food

10. Read a Book

Don’t wait for a health care provider to ask about your mental health. Start the conversation. Here are five tips to help prepare and guide you on talking to a health care provider about your mental health and getting the most out of your visit.

This TCS page is designed to access information about mental health topics, receive tools you can use, provides you with resources for all kinds of needs , and where you can access past issues of the Tiger's Mind. Suggestions are always welcome!

Tallassee City Schools

Mental Health Services Coordinator

Email: Jen.Bafford@tcschools.com
Location: 901 E B Payne Sr Dr, Tallassee, AL 36078
Call or Text: 334-415-4125
Facebook: facebook.com/MrsJenBafford

NEW page on TCS Website: https://www.tcschools.com/page/mental-health-wellness