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Celebrate Everyday Victories

Celebrate Everyday Victories

May 8, 2019 | 1:30 PM

Celebrate everyday victories.

That’s the focus of a new campaign by the Vernon branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association as part of Mental Health Week.

The agency is encouraging youth people to pause and acknowledge their small daily wins and celebrate their journey towards positive mental wellness.

“When we are experiencing depression or anxiety, getting through a typical day can be a struggle and sometimes the smallest of tasks, like doing laundry or making a healthy meal, can feel hard to conquer. However, overcoming and celebrating these challenges is an important step towards feeling better because the cumulative power of small steps taken right now can lead to big changes in the future,” says a news release from CMHA.

People can inspire and encourage other youth in their recovery by using the hashtag #CelebrateEverydayVictories.

“Recovery from depression or anxiety is a process and the #CelebrateEverydayVictories campaign is all about feeling pride and accomplishment in your progress towards regaining your mental health,” says Julia Payson, Executive Director, CMHA Vernon. “If we focus too much on the bigger goals from the offset, it’s easy to start feeling like we’ll never get there. That’s why these seemingly mundane daily achievements are so powerful and important. They motivate us to keep going and each win brings us closer to our eventual goal.”

About one in seven young people in B.C. will experience a mental illness at some point.

“We want youth and young adults experiencing anxiety and depression to know that help is available. With the right tools and practice, they can bounce back and reclaim their mental health,” says Payson.

For young people needing support and encouragement to regain their mental health CMHA offers BounceBack® – a free skill-building program which has proven effective for adults experiencing mild-to-moderate depression and/or anxiety since 2008, with more details at www.bouncebackbc.ca.