Summary
Wellbeing is a simple concept. We can work towards wellbeing together. NYS OMH has a new website to help you: BeWell. There are many resources available to help. Remember to connect to people, to help them and to help yourself. Thank your elected representatives for the resources at the federal and state levels which provide information to us: gratitude for wellbeing. We are United in working towards wellbeing for all.
Wellbeing in the USA: 2025 or 1925?
Wellbeing in the USA in 2025 is not what it could be. Sometimes I wonder if I am living in 1925 or 2025. Let’s explore.
What’s the Problem?
Wellbeing is such a simple concept. But, the world has become preoccupied with the idea of a work ethic and the indicator of Gross National Product; the ideological differences among people; the clash about who has the rights to access resources; and the allure of power.
We have forgotten about wellbeing.
Recall the Wild 5 Wellness Programme developed by Drs. Saundra and Rakesh Jain. Social connection; mindfulness; nutrition; exercise; and sleep. Recall.
I like the new website through the New York State Office of Mental Health which shares the importance of working towards wellness. Check it out:
Tap into the resources on the website, for your sake and for the sake of our communities.
Wellbeing in the USA: A Right for All
Remember my previous blogs on how to maintain and promote and work towards mental wellbeing. It’s a process, not an outcome.
Wellbeing for All in the USA
We are called to be cognizant that those who are different from us deserve to experience mental and physical wellbeing. Whether the differences are cultural, linguistic, geographical, political, religious, socioeconomic, or in any other sphere, all people merit mental and physical wellbeing. Everybody does.
The challenge is to embrace the neuroscience of peace and conflict. Recall my last post. Take another listen to the video The Neuroscience of Peace and Conflict:
The Neuroscience of Peace and Conflict: June 15, 2023.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxJPHLbipNM
Use your mirror neurons. Smile at your neighbours. Smile at your colleagues. Smile at the people whom you meet in stores and in movie theaters and at gas stations and at the tax office. Demonstrate your humanity and be kind to everyone.
Share information freely. Information is free and information sharing keeps us connected. Recall the importance of engaging all persons in society to build social capital. When a person experiences a sense of belonging to a community, that person is less likely to consider engaging in harm to the community. Listen. Share facts not vitriol. With a little effort, we can embark on the path to peace and reconciliation, both sorely needed in this world.
Take-aways for Wellbeing in the USA in 2025
Do not remain isolated. Reach out and socialize. Recall that even occasional social interactions with people can be beneficial to your mental wellbeing.
Express gratitude for what we have. Call your elected officials, to remind them of your appreciation for the communications by federal agencies which alert us of dangerous weather events; provide us with health information; assist us when we live in a region which is hit by a natural disaster; and even help us to pay our taxes. Yep, even the IRS works for us: I say this despite my dread of tax season!
Washington, DC, Capital Switchboard: 202.224.2131
Guard your mental health. There is a time for turning off electronic devices to promote a restful sleep and healthy socialization. There is a time to tune out the omnipresent social media outlets. Be a consumer of information but not consumed by the negative information.
Stand tall. Remember Martin Luther King Jr’s dream. And, remember his call for all of us to stand up and do the right thing when the time emerges:
“Cowardice asks the question, ‘Is it safe?’ Expediency asks the question, ‘Is it politic?’ Vanity asks the question, ‘Is it popular?’ But, conscience asks the question, ‘Is it right?’ And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because one’s conscience tells one that it is right”
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/566501-cowardice-asks-the-question-is-it-safe-expediency-asks-the
Martin Luther King Jr.
Wellbeing and Music
Art mimics life. Or, does art teach us alternative ways to live, in peace, in harmony, embracing justice and freedom for all?
Here is my answer to that question:
Shoshana Bean & Maleah Joi Moon performing ‘No One’ from “Hell’s Kitchen”
Let’s show some compassion for each other and realize that all of our families are human, all of us have layered ethnic backgrounds. There are no monoliths in this nation, nor in this world. We are one people.
No one can divide US. United we Stand.
Selected References:
Greater Good Science Center. (November 21, 2024). How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain. Greater Good Science Center, University of California, Berkeley. Accessed online on December 8, 2024, at https://ggsc.berkeley.edu/what_we_do/event/how_gratitude_changes_you_and_your_brain
The Hidden Brain Staff. (November 8, 2022). Relationships 2.0: The Power of Tiny Interactions. Hidden Brain podcast hosted by Shankar Vedantam. Accessed online on February 10, 2025, at https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/relationships-2-0-the-power-of-tiny-interactions/
UN Innovation Network. June 15, 2023. The Neuroscience of Peace and Conflict. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxJPHLbipNM
Disclaimer: The content of this post is not meant to substitute for a consultation with your healthcare professional team.
If you are having thoughts of hurting yourself or someone else, please call 9-1-1; call 9-8-8; or go to the nearest emergency room.
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