09 Feb Healthy Brain, Healthy Mind Offered at Hulbert Community Library
“Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun, please shine down on me!” I was thinking of this song by one of my favorite children’s musicians, the great Raffi, this morning as I was driving to work.
This past week of dark, damp, and overcast weather has reminded me that I probably would not function well living too long in the northwest or Alaska in the winter, where you might not see the sun for weeks at a time.
According to the non-profit organization Mental Health America, seasonal depression, or seasonal affective disorder, affects approximately 5% of the population, or more than 16.4 million Americans. It is so important to be aware of how you are personally handling these darker winter days and how your loved ones around you are functioning, as well. If your mood has been as dark as the sky was last week, don’t hesitate to reach out to a loved one or a counselor for some extra support.
And, beginning in February, Hulbert Community Library in partnership with our good friends at Oklahoma Healthy Aging Initiative will be offering a class that could be beneficial for you, as well. This class is called Healthy Brain, Healthy Mind.
It will be one hour per week for four weeks and will focus on twelve different methods to help maintain and improve physical and mental health. Topics include, engaging in healthy activities, dealing with the blues and stress, thriving vs. getting by, and many more.
I encourage everyone who is interested in improving their overall physical and mental health to sign up and attend. Or, if you know of someone who could benefit from this class, please reach out and share this information.
Registration is required and participants will receive a book that goes along with the curriculum. Please call (918) 660-3172 or email jenna-chavez@ouhsc.edu to get signed up and let the sunshine back into your life!
Ashley Rouse is the shared branch manager of Q.B. Boydstun Library and Hulbert Community Library, branches of the Eastern Oklahoma Library System.
