Holiday Closures:
January 16, 2023 - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
New Year's resolutions, everyone is doing it until they aren't. We like to keep ours realistic. This year that means being kinder to ourselves and making time to be happy.
Here are some of our favorite books in the new year that we hope will help inspire realistic goals for 2023.
Having recently returned from maternity leave, Librarian Melissa’s new favorite book going into the new year is The Mental Load: a feminist comic by French cartoonist, Emma. Melissa's life is literally this book. To be kinder to herself in the new year, she will train her husband and kids somehow to not be like the storyboard below while she sits back and reads this book.
Library staff Lara enjoys How to Be Perfectly Unhappy by Matthew Inman, aka The Oatmeal. This is a great book for anyone looking for a good laugh or for those looking for inspiration based on reality. In it, the author describes the spectrum of happiness with thought-provoking images. It is a quick read, and we think you just might find something to relate to.
Since we’re talking about our goals for this year, we hope one of them is taking care of your mental wellness.
With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, some may feel more stressed than relaxed during their time off. After all, preparing for a holiday meal and last-minute Christmas shopping is no small feat. Since January is Mental Wellness Month, remember to check on your loved ones and yourself to see how you are holding up, emotionally and mentally. When we think of New Year’s resolutions, there is often emphasis put on physical wellness, but mental wellness is just as essential and should be a priority in our lives.
You may wonder what the difference is between mental health (Mental Health Awareness Month is celebrated in May) and mental wellness.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes mental health as “our emotional, psychological and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel and act. It also determines how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices.” The Global Wellness Institute defines mental wellness as “an internal resource that helps us think, feel, connect and function; it is an active process that helps us to build resilience, grow and flourish.”
When your mental health is in a good state, it’s called mental wellness, meaning that your mind is functioning as it should be and that you can function positively in your life. Investing in your mental wellness isn’t easy; it takes work to get to and sustain it, but there are ways you can get to mental wellness, such as (1):
Check out our Wellness Guide for helpful resources and best practices to build wellness into your everyday life.
Links to books:
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