PSA: Mental Health Awareness Month

This episode of the Y Health Podcast is a special Mental Health Awareness Month PSA from host Cougar Hall focused on the importance of slowing down, practicing mindfulness, and strengthening social connection. Drawing on insights from thinkers like Sam Harris, James Baraz, and David Brooks, Dr. Hall discusses how mental health is an essential part of overall well-being and why normalizing conversations around stress, anxiety, and emotional struggles matters. Through reflections on mindfulness, letting go of judgment, and building meaningful relationships, this episode offers practical and thoughtful invitations for improving mental and emotional health in everyday life. 

Recorded, Edited & Produced by Averee Bates, Christy Gonzalez, Harper Xinyu Zhang, Madison McArthur, Kailey Hopkins, and Tanya Gale

Transcript

 Welcome to another PSA edition of the Why Health Podcast. The Why Health podcast is hosted by me, Dr. Cougar Hall, a professor of public health at BYU. This podcast strives to share engaging discussions and relevant information from the world of public health. So let's dive into today's topic. May is Mental Health Awareness Month and provides us a simple yet important reminder. Mental health is part of our overall health. Just like we pay attention to our physical well-being, getting enough sleep, exercising, eating right, or seeing a physician when something feels off, we need to give the same attention to our emotional and psychological well-being. The reality is that most people will face periods of stress, anxiety, melancholy, or low mood at some point in their lives. That doesn't mean something is wrong with them or that we are broken. It means we're human and having a mortal experience. When we normalize talking about mental health, we reduce the stigma and make it easier for people to reach out, seek help, and support one another. This month is also a chance to take small, meaningful steps both for ourselves and for the people around us. That might mean checking in with a friend, making space for real conversations, or simply noticing how we're doing and responding with a bit more honesty and self-compassion. It can also mean recognizing when extra support is needed, whether that's talking with a family member, a coworker, a mentor, or a healthcare provider. Mental health doesn't require perfection. It requires attention, connection, and care over time. Even small actions repeated consistently can make a meaningful difference. Here are three invitations we might consider this month First, consider slowing down. Spend less time planning and multitasking, less concern with improving and optimizing, and more time being present and experiencing whatever it is that is happening right now. Less is often more. A thought from podcaster and neuroscientist Sam Harris illustrates this point. Quote, "Meditation sounds like a practice, something you do, something you add to your life. In the beginning, it certainly seems this way. I mean, you ask someone, 'Did you meditate today?' 'Nah, I forgot.' Or, 'Yes, for ten minutes right before lunch.' But real meditation isn't something you do; it's something you cease to do. It is non-distraction." End quote. Consider slowing down. Consider turning off notifications on your phone. And rather than checking email, text messages, social media, how the stock market's trending, or a sports score the next time you have thirty seconds between tasks, take a deep breath and notice, how's my body feeling? Look up. Notice the sky, the clouds, or the wind on your face and express gratitude for all that you are experiencing. Again, this is not something that you have to do, one more thing on your list. Rather, it's one less thing. It's non-distraction. Second, consider resisting the inclination to label or judge life events or circumstances as either good or bad. Rather than labeling life's happenings on a good to bad or fortunate to unfortunate scale, we can choose to simply consider it all experience and moreover, realize that our experiences are exactly what we need to learn, to grow, and to become. It's the mortal experience that we signed up for. A quote on mindfulness from James Baraz may be helpful. Quote, "Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different. Enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes, which it will. Being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way, which it won't." End quote. Wisdom teaches us to let go of things for which we have no control and to allow others to be and to choose to be who they want to be. But this approach works best when we also let go of judgment Finally, consider increasing social connection. I recently had an experience with a group of students in Costa Rica. A local health expert was addressing our group about the blue zone previously identified in Nosara along the Nicoya Peninsula, where research had found a high percentage of centenarians. She listed the typical explanation for why these individuals were living so long: dietary practices, work-life balance, drinking water fortified with specific minerals, etc. Then indicated that from her perspective, there was really only one essential aspect of the local culture that truly impacted longevity: social connection and support. I was reminded of a passage from one of my favorite books, How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen, by author David Brooks. He writes, quote, "People are social animals. People need recognition from others if they are to thrive. People long for someone to look into their eyes with loving acceptance. Therefore, morality is mostly about the small daily acts of building connection. The gaze that says, 'I respect you.' The question that says, 'I'm curious about you.' The conversation that says, 'We're in this together.' Morality is a social practice. It's trying to be generous and considerate toward a specific other person who is enmeshed with a specific context. A person of character is trying to be generous and just to the person who's criticizing him. He's trying to just be present and faithful to the person suffering from depression. He's trying to be a deep and caring friend to the person who's trying to overcome the wounds left by childhood. He's a helpful sounding board to the person rebuilding her models after losing a spouse or a child." End quote. So as we each reflect on mental health this month, please consider, one, slowing down. Two, minimizing the labeling of life events and circumstances as either good or bad. And three, striving for increased social connection while truly seeing and supporting others. Thanks for listening to the Y Health Podcast. Remember to follow us on the podcast platform of your choice so you never miss an episode.