Clara Phillips
January 25, 2022
The harsh recent weather has made it hard to ignore the winter blues. During this time of year, those suffering from poor mental health and mental illness are faced with even greater challenges from reduced daylight hours and colder temperatures. However, the start of a year can be viewed as a new beginning and an opportunity to manage stress, anxiety, and wellbeing with new coping mechanisms and small positive changes. Unfortunately, stigma surrounding mental health brings about feelings of shame, isolation, and self-doubt, leading to reluctancy to seek help or treatment. We encourage you to participate in Bell Let’s Talk Day on Jan. 26 to help end this stigma through conversation. Bell Let’s Talk Day highlights the importance of ongoing action to increase awareness around mental health and mental illness, and encourages Canadians to keep talking, listening, and being there for ourselves and each other. On Bell Let’s Talk Day, Bell will donate 5 cents to Canadian mental health programs for every applicable text, call, tweet or TikTok video using #BellLetsTalk, social-media video view, and use of the Bell Let’s Talk Facebook frame or Snapchat lens.
There are many coping mechanisms to help manage anxiety and feelings of depression. Make sleep a priority to give your body its much-needed rest. Limit your screen time, especially in the hour before going to bed. Commit time for daily exercise, taking it outdoors whenever possible, even for a short walk. Time after time, researchers also report how indoor and outdoor plants can reduce symptoms of depression and enhance social and spiritual well-being. Plants help purify the air and add moisture to the environment. Taking care of them can also be a soothing and therapeutic task.
For someone without a green thumb, acquiring plants or a starting a garden can feel like a daunting task. Plus, it may be a long time before we see some earth and soil underneath this thick blanket of snow, and the last thing on our minds is outdoor gardening. Participating in Seed Swap Day on Jan. 29 may be just the motivation! Seed Swap Day offers the opportunity to anticipate the coming spring, learn about new indoor and outdoor plant varieties, and maybe meet some people (safely) along the way. With this helpful Ontario seeding calendar, you can even start planting seeds inside! Many indoor houseplants can also be grown from seeds, any time of year. Seed Swap Day also supports biodiversity, a critical (and often overlooked) factor in a sustainable ecosystem (read our post about Canada’s Biodiversity here).
“Today’s seeds are tomorrow’s trees.” – Matshona Dhliwayo
If you are struggling with mental health, professional help is available 24/7:
Canadian Mental Health Association
The Greener Side 