Resources
Art and media can be powerful tools for exploration, connection, and healing. Here’s a collection of my favourites.
Audio
Podcasts, stories and more
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Anxiety is spiking around the world and we need the radical medicine of awareness to unwind it. Tara Brach and Dr. Judson Brewer look at how anxiety is a habit that can be unlearned as we cultivate a curious and kind mindful presence.
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This two-part podcast explores the sinister tricks of depression, including rumination, and how meditation can help alleviate suffering.
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It’s understandable that we sometimes dwell on things that upset us. But sometimes our negative emotions can keep us from savoring the good things in our lives.
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Sorrows have a way of finding us, no matter how hard we try to avoid them. Joys, on the other hand, are often harder to notice and appreciate. This week, we continue our conversation with psychologist Fred Bryant about the science of savoring, and how to make the most of the good things in our lives.
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In the mental health community, there’s a new term: “Eco-Anxiety.”
Our guest in this episode, Jay Michaelson, has been thinking hard about climate change for many, many years.
In this conversation, we talk about what Jay thinks some meditation teachers get wrong about climate change, what he calls the “delusion” that individual habit change can make an impact, how we can use meditation to engage more effectively in the kind of politics he says we need to move the needle on a systemic level, and how to use meditation and deep breathing to handle eco-anxiety.
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Hidden Brain interview with the Sarah Jaquette Ray, author of
A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety.
How to keep your cool on a warming planet.Confronting the emotions we feel when faced with the despair of climate change.
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Internalizing shame: The psychological tolls of late stage capitalism and how to protect our sense of self.
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A show about clinical depression...with laughs? Well, yeah. Depression is an incredibly common and isolating disease experienced by millions, yet often stigmatized by society. The Hilarious World of Depression is a series of frank, moving, and, yes, funny conversations with top comedians who have dealt with this disease, hosted by veteran humorist and public radio host John Moe. Join guests such as Maria Bamford, Paul F. Tompkins, Andy Richter, and Jen Kirkman to learn how they’ve dealt with depression and managed to laugh along the way.
The Hilarious World of Depression is not medical treatment and should not be seen as a substitute for therapy or medication. But it is a chance to gain some insight, have a few laughs, and realize that people with depression are not alone and that together, we can all feel a bit better.
Video
TED Talks, YouTube, and more
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Essential viewing for anyone interested in how to live more whole heartedly.
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A year after her Vulnerability TED Talk went viral Brene came back with this Part 2 on the ubiquity of shame.
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Inside the mind of a master procrastinator.
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A young woman talks openly and clearly about living with anxiety and panic in this 3 minute video.
Film
Visual storytelling can be a powerful tool for understanding ourselves
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Despite being caught in her imaginative world, Amelie, a young waitress, decides to help people find happiness. Her quest to spread joy leads her on a journey where she finds true love. More
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Another film to watch when you need to uplift your mood. Little Miss Sunshine is a black comedy aimed at adults. It exposes the hypocrisy in children's beauty pageants as well as the myth of winners versus losers. The main messages from this movie are that so called 'losers' can be winners too and that body image is irrelevant in the broad scheme of things.
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This Netflix documentary by Jonah Hill explores the tools of therapy he learned from Dr Stutz, his long-term psychotherapist. You may want to take notes for this one, as it contains lots of information about the process of counselling.
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This feel-good movie elaborates on the original YouTube viral video from over a decade ago. This is definitely on my antidepressant film list.
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Gorgeous, meticulous animation and art direction. This one gets pretty dark, so not suitable for younger viewers. But, it confronts real life, difficult situations in a sensitive, creative way. It’s also a story about a beautiful sibling relationship.
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This adaptation of the Broadway musical seems to be an allegory about racism, diversity, systemic violence, othering, and current politics. It reminds me of the Tom Robbins quotation, “There is no such thing as a weird human being. It’s just that some people require more understanding than others.”
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A cranky history teacher at a prep school is forced to remain on campus over the holidays with a grieving cook and a troubled student who has no place to go. More
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The plan to make a trip back home as short as possible begins to unravel as Eric finds himself balancing the challenging relationship with his two sisters and his addiction to a local poker game. More
Music
Music can help us access emotions
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You can watch this inspiring video whenever you need encouragement to do something that feels hard to do. Dogs can be wonderful supports. Ruff.
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The final song of the film The Adults is especially delicate and beautiful. Listen
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Classic Radiohead song from In Rainbows album.
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Item Sarah Neufeld (born August 27, 1979) is a Canadian violinist who is known for her work with indie rock band Arcade Fire, with whom she is a former core member and currently a touring member. Listen
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Parks chose her stage name as a distinctive personal pseudonym, inspired by King Krule and Frank Ocean. Listen
Links
Mental Health & Wellness
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RESOURCES, RELIEF & RESULTS
Our mission is to reduce the barrier of anxiety and related disorders so people can live the life they want. We offer trusted resources and programs to help individuals find relief from anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). -
Our overall objective is to provide people with mood disorders with a strong, cohesive voice at the national level by:
Raising awareness that mood disorders are treatable medical issues and working towards eliminating barriers to full community participation in reducing discrimination and stigma, involving members of the public, government and treatment/service providers.
Building a national clearinghouse of information and resources related to mood disorders.
Advocating for the creation of adequate and accessible stigma-free programs for Canadians living with or suffering from mental illness.
Ensuring that the voices of PWLE and family members are accurately understood and communicated on issues of national importance by building on existing networks and alliances.
Mission
To improve the quality of life of Canadians impacted by mental illness so they can live the most fulfilling life possible.
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In light of how frequently people express difficulties with sleep, we asked our social media friends to share their ways of working with this issue. We received hundreds of suggestions that ranged from calming breath practices, lavender oils and buckwheat pillows to acceptance and self-compassion.
Your collective wisdom is so valuable and inspiring, we wanted to share it!
We have divided the responses into two categories:
Meditative practices and basic wisdom that help us relate to sleeplessness
A list of support strategies (herbs, music) that were identified
Please be aware that we are not making any claims about the efficacy of these strategies; rather, we are sharing what friends in our broader community have found helpful.
We hope you’ll find this a rich banquet of collective wisdom! (read more)
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Dharma Punx NYC is a secular, unconventional Buddhist community that attracts the more alternative, punk, bohemian communities. It is led by guiding teacher and Buddhist Pastor Josh Korda. It is respectful of other lineages and institutions. This website has useful links to Josh’s podcast, resources, events, and more.
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The world can be a stressful place. While everyone seems to want happiness and peace, most of us do many things that make our lives more stressful rather than less, and lasting satisfaction can seem like an impossible fantasy.
2600 years ago in India, a young person named Siddhattha Gotama sought for lasting peace, and when he found it, began to be called the Buddha, or “awakened one.” Many streams of practice have branched out from the Buddha’s original teaching, called "Dharma," (Pāli: Dhamma) bringing comfort and freedom of heart to countless seekers.
Our branch of this great tradition is called Insight Meditation and is the origin of mindfulness practice, a style of meditation and attention training that has revolutionized wellness and spiritual practice throughout the world.
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Founded in 1918, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is the most established, most extensive community mental health organization in Canada.
CMHA provides advocacy and resources that help to prevent mental health problems and illnesses, support recovery and resilience, and enable all Canadians to flourish and thrive.
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The world’s largest library of free guided meditations from psychologists, spiritual teachers, and mindfulness teachers. This is an incredibly valuable resource. You can download the app for easy access to guided meditations on the go.