Resolution 2022: Ask ‘how are you,’ pause and really listen

When I declared 2021 my “year for fun,” I was acknowledging 50-plus years of being way too serious, 10-plus years of living with a bipolar 2 diagnosis, and 5 years as a divorcee. I was acknowledging sacrifices that contributed to undeniable career success but detracted from my physical, mental and relational health. The quest to discover my style of “fun” served me well and incorporating fun in my self-care routine became as much of a priority as my exercise and therapy goals.

Meanwhile, the entire world has clamored for a return to normalcy. Cries for getting “back to normal” (or settling into a “new normal”) continue to be met with layers of uncertainty. Before the pandemic, the National Institute of Mental Health reported “nearly one in five U.S. adults lives with a mental illness.” More recently, the number of adults reporting symptoms of anxiety or depression is nearly two in five. Some, including Gallup, suggest a new global health crisis will be upon us — a mental health pandemic.

Make It OK Linn County and the MedQuarter Faith and Medicine task force are both helping to raise awareness about mental health and end the stigma around mental illness. I am convinced that normalizing the conversation is essential. Too often we ask, “How are you?” without pausing to listen to the response.

In 2022, please join me in this goal: notice when a family member, friend or colleague seems out of sorts. Show that you care. Not sure how to talk about mental illness? Visit iowahealthieststate.com/blog/make-it-ok/mental-illness-what-to-say-and-what-not-to-say-talking-conversation-tips/

Anne Carter Harris is a Cedar Rapids community advocate.