Jessica Fidler from MHC’s Stamford office recently shared some experiences she’s seen with a program participant of our residential services breaking free of some heavy chains of depression.
“Lately, he’s been expressing happiness and we joke a lot. On one trip back from the beach, he was singing to the radio with the windows down and we were strolling around and talked about what they were seeing. Another program participant was joining in and we all quickly got lost in the moment, laughing and singing, and feeling good about the day,” said Jessica.
With MHC since February, this program participant has only recently been able to shift away from keeping to himself and staying in his apartment all day. He’s now taking Jessica up on her suggestions for walking on the beach or in town, and is more receptive to hanging out with others.
Jessica says that the short experiences of just being able to laugh and sing in the car may seem like a small win for most of us but it goes a long way to recapturing that feeling of “normal” that so often can dissipate when experiencing day-to-day challenges with a mental health and addiction.
There is an art, and some science, to finding comfort in big or little things that move us away from the pain we’re feeling. It’s not always the ultimate solution.
In the article, “Why Distraction Helps Ease Anxiety,” the author states:
“The art of distraction has always been used to help people refocus and avoid concentrating on whatever physical or emotional discomfort the person is going through.”
When I was in high school, I was the school mascot. I loved this job. It was entertainment and exercise and absurdity all rolled into one.
At the time, I believed that I was working 100% for the audience. Yet, now I know that being a mascot was a stress reliever for me too. My focus on being silly and making little kids and adults alike laugh gave me a feeling of freedom that lately I’ve been trying to recapture in my adult years. As a yoga teacher, my yoga practice is absolutely my top method for distracting myself from the anxiety and depression that creep in like sneaky waves. But, what of those old familiar mascot feelings? Are they lost in the sweaty, furry bulldog costume of long ago?
Tonight, is MHC Day at Yard Goats stadium. I’ve been to a few games and, even though I’m a baseball fan, my eyes are always on the mascots. The stadium does a pretty stellar job of hiring high energy mascots that know how to please a crowd.
I’ll be taking notes once again… I feel a future of melding my two distracted selves together – the yogi and the mascot. What that looks like is pretty unclear. Stay tuned!
-Suzi Craig
Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships, MHC
Class of ’89 Lyman Memorial High School Bulldogs
Nationally Certified Yoga Teacher
What’s your favorite distraction practice? Tell us about it!
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