Taking Care of You ... All of You

Your mental health is just as important as your physical health

- BY Beth Weinhouse

HOW ARE YOU feeling? No, not your stuffy nose or your achy knees. Feeling. There’s so much going on in the world right now that many of us are feeling stressed, worried and anxious. Polls that ask people what they’re concerned about list a vast array of subjects including keeping their families safe, access to health care, identity theft, paying bills, the opioid epidemic, loneliness, social media, job security, the impact of emerging technology, politics and political polarization, climate disasters, current events, and the state of the world. It’s no wonder we’re so worried.

The rapid pace of change in so many arenas right now is a big part of the problem. “Change creates anxiety and sometimes depression,” says Linda Rosenberg, MSW, who recently left her position at the Columbia University department of psychiatry to consult for private and public companies entering the mental healthcare field. “Younger people are looking on Instagram and seeing idealized lives that are driving their anxiety. They’re worried about not getting jobs due to AI,” she says. “Older people experience loneliness. They’re living longer, losing friends and family.” The pandemic made people more accustomed to living online, which increased feelings of isolation and loneliness for all ages.

As New Year’s approaches, here’s another indicator of how we’re feeling. After years of prioritizing our physical health, Americans are now turning inward. Popular New Year’s resolutions have always included vows to improve physical health through weight loss, exercise and healthy eating. But last year, according to the American Psychiatric Association, a record one-third of Americans made a New Year's resolution to prioritize their psychological and emotional health. The things people were resolving to do for the coming year included meditating, spending more time in nature, focusing on spirituality, journaling, taking a social media break and seeing a therapist or psychiatrist.