Mental Health During Fall and Winter
Approximately 1 in 5 Canadians experience a mental health problem or illness in any given year. For youth who are at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness, many of whom may have suffered trauma, or have undiagnosed mental health concerns, this time of year can be particularly challenging.
There are many ways to help support your mental health throughout these colder and shorter fall and winter days.
Stay Active
Have you ever gone for a walk to clear your head? Done yoga to relax? Lifted weights to relieve frustration? You’re onto something!
Research has shown that physical activity is highly beneficial for our mental health, in addition to providing many physiological benefits.
As part of our commitment to providing whole-person care at Covenant House Vancouver, youth have access to spaces like our gym, fitness room, and wellness room, that are dedicated to improving mental and physical well-being.
Connect to Music
There is a growing body of research that shows that music can help with mental health. Here are a few examples:
- Writing and playing music can help facilitate emotional release, promote self-reflection, and create a sense of community.
- Listening to music can trigger the release of dopamine, lowering stress hormones such as cortisol, and promoting feelings of relaxation and calm, which translates to better mental and physical well-being.
- Engaging with music actively, through playing an instrument, singing, or dancing, has been shown to enhance cognitive function, improve memory, and boost mood.
- Music therapy – or the use of music to process trauma and other difficult feelings – has demonstrated effectiveness in improving mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.
Since its creation, the music room at CHV has become a favourite space for youth and workers alike to learn, write, and play music together, and to connect through creative expression. And while it’s certainly fun and inspiring, the room has a deeper purpose, too: to encourage mental well-being and healing.
Try Art
Not only can art be a creative outlet and a way to relax, but it can also help boost your mood.
At CHV, we have a dedicated art room where young people can engage in art therapy. Art therapy combines the creative process (through mediums like drawing, painting, collage, colouring, and sculpting) with psychotherapy. Art therapy helps facilitate self-exploration and understanding, and is a way to express thoughts and feelings that otherwise could be difficult for an individual to articulate.
Our art therapists practice radical hospitality — a thoughtful approach to welcoming youth by creating an inviting and comforting space. Youth are free to pop in and out during open studios and stay for a few minutes, or the entire time, and are welcome to enjoy snacks, tea, and selective aromatherapy scents.
Throughout the process, youth are supported in their art therapy journey that begins with the creation of a safe space where they can be vulnerable and lay the groundwork for trust. From there, youth explore possible narratives associated with their art before exploring the possible meanings behind their pieces — a time where youth often reflect and may find and define healing on their own terms.
Talk to a Counsellor
Sometimes, sharing your frustrations, concerns, and fears with a supportive mental health professional can provide a sense of relief as well as help you create pathways to deal with situations effectively and improve your mental health.
As part of CHV’s wraparound services, youth have access to counsellors who can help them work through their trauma. Counsellors are available when a young person decides that they would like support to work through their challenges. Youth maintain their autonomy and are the experts in their own lives.
Working with a counsellor, youth, like Alex, have made huge improvements in their mental health and have gone on to not just surviving, but thriving!
If you would like to help more young people, like Alex, there is no better time than now!
Our Triple Match Campaign launches today! Donate today and triple your impact. This Match is made possible through the generous support of Scotiabank and the Trottier Family Foundation, who will match every dollar up to $150,000!
The $50,000 matching gift from Scotiabank and the $100,000 matching gift from the Trottier Family Foundation means that your gift will go even further in providing a safe, supportive environment, where youth in crisis can heal, grow, and change the course of their lives.