The Local Optimist Digest #4

Welcome to The Local Optimist Digest, your crib sheet for the latest news in mental health. Whether you want to know how the government is (or is not) investing in our wellbeing, discover the latest research on how the mind impacts the body, or find out which celebrities are helping destigmatize the conversation by opening up about their own mental health struggles, we’ll be covering it all here every other week. This week, we're looking at the concerning impact of Covid-19 policies on teen mental health, the rise of healthy-eating-gone-wrong, and TikTokers' protest against beauty filters.

CDC finds that its COVID-19 policies were toxic for teens

In one of the many cruel twists of the Covid-19 pandemic, the CDC that we look to for guidance on how to navigate this (actually) unprecedented time has found that many of its protective measures have led to a depression epidemic amongst teens. School closures and social isolation hit this group particularly hard, with more than a third of high-school students reporting poor mental health and nearly half saying they felt sad and hopeless in the last year. Raise your hand if you'd like to go back to a time when staying awake in class and convincing a guy named Kyle (or was it Brad?) to love you was the biggest high school hurdle. READ

Your anxiety could be coming from inside the house

We've all heard about the deleterious effects of anxiety on the body, but could your body be the cause of that anxiety in the first place? In her new book, "The Anatomy of Anxiety: Understanding and Overcoming the Body's Fear Response," Dr. Ellen Vora argues that rather than going straight to cognitive shifts to help manage anxiety, we'd do well to look at the body first. Imbalances in the body, from sleep deprivation to poor diet, can actually be causing that good ol' fight or flight response in the first place. READ

This week in: drugs are good for you now

Great news for everyone who lived through the '70s, psychedelics are still having a moment. New research has shown that not only is psilocybin (that's shrooms in layman's terms) helpful in managing anxiety and depression, but it also shows promise in treating substance abuse for addiction to alcohol, nicotine, and even hard drugs. Insert bad joke about a good trip here.  READ

Yes, there's such a thing as too much healthy eating

In the midst of the booming wellness movement, our culture has become consumed by so-called healthy living, "biohacking" our way to some vague idea of greatness at every turn. But this trend has led to a dangerous new eating disorder called orthorexia, in which people grow so obsessed with eating "clean" foods that it negatively impacts the very health they believe they're serving. Naturally, the DSM-5 is taking its sweet time in recognizing it as an official diagnosis. READ

Beauty filters? TikTok says "nah, we're good"

Despite our reliance on social media's virtual glow-up, the toxicity of beauty filters has been well-reported – a study from Dove found that 50% of girls don't believe they look good enough without photo editing. Now TikTokers are kicking filters to the curb with a viral trend that sees people transitioning from a full make-up filter to reveal their natural beauty. We love to hate you TikTok, but this trend gets 5 stars. READ

Will A.I. be diagnosing mental disorders next? 

Psychologists have long studied how people speak (and what they say) for insight into their mental states. Depressed people, for instance, are generally more monotone and speak at a lower volume (think Daria). Now, a series of apps and online tools are using artificial intelligence to analyze voice patterns in an effort to predict depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and PTSD. But as with most new technologies, the results are, welp, complicated.  READ

Selena Gomez says it's time to log off

In 2016, Selena Gomez was the most followed person on Instagram – a title that many celebrities and influencers covet. But in reality, being on the platform made the singer and actress more depressed and took a toll on her self-esteem. Now, in a recent interview with Good Morning America, Gomez revealed that she's stayed offline for more than 4 years and is happier and more present as a result. Terrible news for the Extremely Online crowd (read: us). READ

Do you crave free, quiet time but then find yourself feeling antsy or lonely once you get it?

One way to offset this is by engaging in activities you enjoy that require both concentration and skill, according to recent research. The key is to do something so engrossing you reach a state of flow, but not so challenging as to leave you frustrated, like painting, playing an instrument, writing, or going for a run.

Camila Cabello calls out the paparazzi's impact on body image

The toll that our paparazzi-fueled celebrity culture has taken on (mostly female) celebrities has become disturbingly clear in recent years, but it's not just early '00s It Girls like Britney and LiLo who've been affected. On Instagram, Camila Cabello recently explained that constantly having her body scrutinized has left her feeling "super vulnerable and unprepared," and lamented gossip rags' limited idea of what a woman's body should look like. We couldn't like the post fast enough. READ

Faking happiness 24/7 at work? It can backfire

Just like toxic positivity, enforcing a culture of positivity at work that leaves no room for employees to open up about their sadness or stress can be detrimental in the long term. Recent research shows that compassionate leadership and a work environment that promotes openness can lead to deeper team connections and an increase in productivity. BRB, sending a "laughing, crying, throwing up" meme to our boss. READ

The American Institute of Stress

April is Stress Awareness Month and, unlike National Pancake Month (don't get us wrong, we love Bisquick), it's sorely needed. According to recent research by The American Psychological Association, the current stress level experienced by Americans is 20 points higher than the global average, with 55% of us feeling stressed during the day. Given this, we have to give a shout to The American Institute of Stress, which is dedicated to researching the impacts of stress on our health and creating resources on how to deal with everything from workplace stress to combat operational stress. To donate or learn more about how to lessen stress in your own life, check them out HERE.

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