How does mental illness choose it’s guileless victims? Disengage them from happy, productive lives? Rob them of all joy, emotion or any interest in life? Deplete them of the ability to perform even the most basic of functions? One in five Canadians will suffer from some form of mental illness whose tendrils reach insidiously across a spectrum of mild social dysfunction to suicidal bipolar states. Genetic disposition? Disruptive, tragic life events? Environmental factors? One thing is clear, no one choses to suffer from depression. It does not differentiate between age, educational and income levels, nor cultures.
The steps to recovery start with the small things. Staying connected. Reaching out. As the saying goes, Do nothing and nothing changes. Change one thing, and everything changes. Keeping active has always been one of the best ways to getting healthy and keeping healthy. Most people have the opportunity to live a healthy and active lifestyle, staving off many diseases in the process and in some cases even combatting the effects of serious or chronic ailments. The thing is, you don’t necessarily have to run marathons in order to maintain an active lifestyle. You could go on daily walks or bike rides around your neighborhood, or join a gym to exercise with a family member or friend a few times a week. You could sign up for local dance classes and tango or foxtrot your way to better health. The important thing is to focus on activities that you find fun and fulfilling – otherwise, you won’t stick with them.
There are mountains of research available that show the benefits of dance. The PsychCentral article “Dance Away Stress and Depression”
http://blogs.psychcentral.com/dbt/2010/07/dance-away-stress-and-depression/ quotes from research that found
dance lowers the levels of stress hormones and significantly lowers levels of depression
dance produces higher levels of mood-boosting neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine
And dance, requires you to focus and be fully present in the moment, much like the practice of mindfulness.
This Movember (formally known as November before it was hijacked by the Movember Foundation) is awareness month for men’s health, with particular focus on men’s mental health, prostate and testicular cancer. The banner page on movember.ca says it all:
“The state of men’s health is in crises. Men experience worse longer term health than women and die on average six years earlier. Prostate cancer rates will double in the next 15 years. Testicular cancer rates have already doubled in the last 50. Three quarters of suicides are men. Poor mental health leads to half million men taking their own life every year. That’s one every minute “
“Our fathers, partners, brothers and friends are facing this health crisis and it’s not being talked about. We can’t afford to stay silent.”
https://ca.movember.com/mens-health/we-need-to-talk
So this Movember, start the conversation. Make a Move. Blueheel Dance Studio is making it’s move to support men’s health and we need you on our team. Blueheel has started a Movember team page on their website. You can
Donate directly by clicking on our blueheel movember page https://ca.movember.com/mospace/ or
Grow your Mo and join us at our Blueheel Mo Party – a fun way to party and give back at the same time
Friday, November 18th | 8:30pm
Tickets at $10 and all proceeds will go to the Movember Foundation
Tickets are available at the studio or you can buy them directly at https://ca.movember.com/events/view/id/m28V
This Movember, start the conversation and spread the word.
Please share with friends, family and co workers. You can make a difference.