Many feel as though people should not talk about their mental health. Like "ew no, we do not want to hear about how you are messed up in the head." That is so wrong on so many levels.
We should be able to freely express how we are feeling without having to fight the stereotype of a psychiatric patient. Each and every person has struggled or will struggle with some form of a mental illness, whether it be anxiety, depression or an eating disorder to name a few. The cloud of judgement surrounding mental illness needs to fade away. The sun demands to shine on the one problem everyone faces at some point in their lifetime. During Covid-19, many people have suffered with the quality of their mental health. There are activities to relieve the stress that society is enduring in unprecedented times. Ideas of activities to do when feeling stressed:
As the U.S. commemorates the one year anniversary of quarantine, let’s take a trip down memory lane. People tried everything to get over the quarantine blues. Flour and eggs flew off the shelves as some tried to become professional bakers, while others filmed cool tricks to post on TikTok to go viral. Even though these tasks kept people busy, some felt as if they were going through this pandemic alone. Due to this increased feeling, some decided to adopt a furry friend to keep them company. Adoption rates skyrocketed and shelters were swiped clean of all pets. Jia Han, first year student at Case Western Reserve, said, “Having a new dog definitely diverted our attention from the pandemic. In a way, she transformed the stress we had about Covid into stress about her.” According to their website, Shelter Animals Count is an “independent, collaborative nonprofit formed by a diverse group of stakeholders to create and share The National Database of sheltered animal statistics, providing facts, and enabling insights that will save lives.” The group tracks about 500 rescue organizations across the country. They recorded 26,000 more pet adoptions in 2020 than in the year before — a rise of about 15 percent. In April, near the beginning of the pandemic, the organization saw the national pet adoption rate jump 34 percent over the same time a year earlier. According to their “Covid-19 Impact Report,” the national pet adoption rate increased 22 percent from April 2019 to April 2020. As the adoption rates increased, more and more pets found forever homes. Even our own staff welcomed some new furry additions to their homes, while others spent time with the pets they already had. Check out the article below to meet the pets that kept The Beakon’s staff company during the pandemic. |
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