Fellow humans, I think we need a check in. In full transparency, there was an entirely different newsletter planned for this week. But as the week trudged on, it was very apparent to us that we are in another wave of emotions, fatigue and overwhelm. 1/8

School is starting, weather events, a politically charged atmosphere and more racial injustices are creating the perfect storm. Oh, and COVID is still happening. The waves are crashing heavily. The storm clouds loom dangerously dark. 2/8

What I'm about to say will make me sound like a broken record. But I believe it is a message we all need to hear repeatedly:

It's important to give everyone, ourselves included, time to pause. It's important to give everyone grace, yourself included. 3/8

The statistics alone paint a picture of a mental health crisis. Over 40% of US adults have reported mental health issues related to COVID-19. Anecdotally, I think we can all see an increased strain on our bandwidths while new realities settle in. 4/8

During various engagements this week, we have seen, heard, and sensed a new heaviness that sits on the hearts and minds of so many people in every walk of life. I don't know if anyone is shielded from the mental effects of the last few months. 5/8

We are all humans. We all have various thresholds for trauma. And yes, what we're going through is considered trauma. That app in our mind is still running 24/7, calculating risks, planning for uncertainties, all while still trying to manage the every day aspects of life. 6/8

I know we can't fix mental health, political unrest, or a global pandemic with the snap of our fingers. But we can continue to normalize talking about how we feel. We can model vulnerability. We can accept and give grace. We can give mental health days. 7/8

We can take mental health days. We can let the tears fall without apology. We can remember that we don't have to be positive. We can remember that it's OK to not give 100% right now. We can give permission to grieve, to feel, to rest 8/8 #COVID19 #pandemic #mentalhealth #emotions