Caring for a loved one can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience, but it can also be emotionally and physically exhausting. Caregivers, also known as caretakers, play an essential role in providing support and assistance to those who are unable to care for themselves due to illness or disability. However, in the process of caring for their loved ones, caregivers often neglect their own needs, leading to burnout, depression, anxiety and other health problems. That’s why it’s crucial to focus on caring for the caretaker, as well as the person they are caring for.

Read more for tips for caregivers to help them prioritize their own well-being. 

New and expecting mothers face not only changes to their lifestyles, but also changes to their bodies and hormones. Each woman’s experience will be different. For some, accommodating the changes of pregnancy and having a baby may come easily—they will adopt new routines and their bodies will return to pre-pregnancy shape and chemistry with little difficulty.

For others, there may be physical and mental health struggles that arise. 

Read more on maternal mental health and how to support new moms here. 

Prevention and early intervention activities can reduce the negative impact substance use disorder has on individuals and in communities.

The Hello Idaho! campaign is designed to address isolation and to help people stay connected. Say “Hello” to begin the conversation about how to prevent substance use disorder and find treatments to help people live a healthy life. If you or someone you know struggles with substance use disorder call the Idaho Careline at 211, a free statewide community information and referral service. 

More on how to help someone struggling with substance use. 

When we experience changes or pressure around us, stress often arises. If we respond to certain situations with fear and dread, we can have an anxiety reaction.

Stress and anxiety can make you sick. I don’t mean they can make you feel sick; I mean stress or anxiety can actually make you physically sick, and potentially very sick. Our bodies are well equipped to handle stress or anxiety for brief periods or in small doses, but when these responses become long-term or chronic, it can have serious effects on your body. We’ve seen much more of this during the pandemic.

Read more on how stress impacts each of the body's systems and how to effectively manager your stress and anxiety. 

When it comes to your mental health, gratitude should be not only the focus of Thanksgiving, but also an everyday habit. Just expressing gratitude can result in better sleep, promote generosity, foster social support, and even protect against stress and depression.

Forming a habit of gratitude actually leads to “profound and long-lasting neural effects in the brain” according to a study that examined brain scans of those suffering from anxiety and depression who wrote letters of thanks to people in their lives. Scientists don’t quite understand how this works mechanically, but they agree that gratitude exerts a myriad of positive effects.

Read more on steps you can take to practice gratitude in your daily life. 

The aftermath of a shooting can be a time of extreme confusion, helplessness, and fear. Part of the trauma associated with shootings is that they often occur without warning in environments we rarely think of as at risk; churches, schools, workplaces, entertainment venues.

You may be struggling to come to terms with how a shooting could occur and why such a terrible thing would happen. Those are difficult questions to answer, and ones you may never satisfactorily comprehend. But beyond searching for the shooter or shooters’ motivation, it’s important to identify and manage your trauma in order to gradually lessen the emotional impact of the event and build your resilience moving forward.

More on the impacts of emotional distress and how to manage it after a shooting. 

Helping a child deal with death and dying can be very challenging. Most children have neither the life experience nor the intellectual or emotional development that allows them to understand death as adults do. But children need to process grief in an age appropriate way. Most important is giving information to children and listening to their responses.

Explaining how we feel when someone we love dies can also be helpful. Tell the child this emotion is grief and it is very normal to be very sad when we hear the news. This may also be a good time to talk about the family’s beliefs about the afterlife.

More on how to talk to children about death. 

What exactly is a traumatic event? According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), a traumatic event is “a frightening, dangerous, or violent event that poses a threat to a child’s life or bodily integrity.”

After a traumatic event some children may develop traumatic stress, and some may not. Several factors can influence this. Children who experience an initial traumatic event before they are 11 years old are three times more likely to develop psychological symptoms than those who experience their first trauma as a teenager or later.

Read more on how you can support children following a traumatic event. 

Physical activity is critical to living a longer, healthier life. But some studies suggest that physical activity can have mental health benefits as well, like relieving depression and maintaining cognitive abilities as you age.

While none of these benefits can replace prescribed medication or counseling, they can help to improve mental health in tandem with them.

More on the postivie impacts of exercise on mental health and ideas to get moving. 

Experiences in life can lead us to emotional eating. Using food as an emotional coping mechanism can bring on negative physical and mental consequences over time. Understanding and practicing mindful eating is a valuable tool for gaining deeper insight into your emotional state. When we’re attuned to ourselves mentally and physically, we can begin to introduce strategies for honoring our bodies.

So, if you’re working on making healthier habits stick, there are practical solutions for emotional eating. Nope, we’re not talking diets or deprivation. Keep in mind that you don’t have to try all of these or do them perfectly— just see what works best for you.

Read more on how to be a mindful eater. 

It’s a time of intense stress and pressure for teens today, coming from a variety of directions. For parents, teachers, mentors and others caring for young people, it can be very important to understand how to identify to signs of distress and help them get the assistance they need. 

More on the signs and symptoms of mental health challenges in teenagers. 

If you’re feeling chronically tired, overwhelmed or burned out, it’s time for some self care. Pressure in our workplaces, caring for the needs of others and other challenges in life can wear us out.

Taking time for self care isn’t just treating yourself to a break, but giving your whole person a chance to rest, regroup and be refreshed. It can be vital for our overall health. 

Read more tips for teachers and caregivers on self care. 

Optum is dedicated to bring awareness to child abuse and to learn about ways for all of us to protect Idaho’s children. 

Here's how parents, neighbors and others can help prevent child abuse. 

Parents and children know that going back to school can be an exciting time and can also cause anxiety and stress. Children may feel anxious and uncertain about the new school year and with COVID-19 added to the mix the stress can increase for everyone.

Luckily, parents and children can work together to cope with change and build resilience. 

More on how to help children cope with back-to-school stress. 

According to the National Council Against Domestic Violence, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men will experience physical violence by a partner during their lifetime.The need for education and awareness of these disturbing facts continues. 

Read for more resources to stop the cycle of domestic violence. 

Family connections, meaningful traditions and fun are supposed to be what the holidays are all about. For many, this is not what they experience. Depression, stress and isolation can fill the holiday season and take a toll on you.

Overall mental health and wellbeing should be a gift you give yourself. 

More on how to prioritize your mental health around the holidays.