Some days it can seem like our lives present one challenge after another. It can be even more daunting for those of us dealing with depression and anxiety. But when we are faced with adversity, big or small, there are opportunities to win the day.
Especially this week. May 6-12 is Mental Health Week, and the Canadian Mental Health Association is launching a campaign called ‘Celebrate Everyday Victories’ that encourages us to acknowledge and celebrate any positive steps toward mental wellness.
For so many who experience mental illness, even relatively small, day-to-day tasks can feel burdensome, and it can be worse the more things pile up.
The notion of celebrating everyday victories suggests that it’s OK to feel overwhelmed and it’s OK if mental wellness comes in fits and starts in the face of that challenge. And for those of us who are fortunate enough to be in good mental health, we can join in recognizing the small victories of those we care about.
“Recovery from depression or anxiety is a process and the Celebrate Everyday Victories campaign is all about feeling pride and accomplishment in your progress towards regaining your mental health,” said Bev Gutray, chief executive officer of the CMHA’s B.C. division, in a press release. “If we focus too much on the bigger goals from the offset, it’s easy to start feeling like we’ll never get there. That’s why these seemingly mundane daily achievements are so powerful and important. They motivate us to keep going and each win brings us closer to our eventual goal.”
We all seek something. Maybe we’re striving for big goals and won’t settle. Maybe we just want to feel OK. Maybe both. Either way, we might not get there today, or anytime soon, so if we don’t ever take a moment to think about the progress we’re making and the small victories, then it sure seems like we would be missing out on something along the way.
For more about the Celebrate Everyday Victories campaign, visit http://mentalhealthweek.ca.
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editor@nanaimobulletin.com
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