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 well-being, discover the latest research on how the mind impacts the body, or find out which celebrities are helping continue the conversation by opening up about their own mental health struggles, we’ll be covering it all here every week. This week, we're looking at what it means to worthsplain, why researchers are saying mindfulness may work as well as Lexapro, and how to get motivated when you’re just not feeling it.

Worthsplaining: what it means and how to stop

If you find yourself over-explaining things or working to always justify your actions and decisions to peers, you probably are ‘worthsplaining.’ Defined as “the tendency to over-explain things that are valuable to you because you fear being judged by others,” ‘worthsplaining’ can significantly impact your mental health. When we begin to ‘worthsplain’ our actions, we undermine our decisions, making a non-issue feel like a big deal. So how can we check in with ourselves to acknowledge and overcome this often unnecessary guilt? READ.

New study highlights the power of mindful meditation

Meditation is a well-known practice and is often used to reduce stress, but could insurance companies finally start to cover mindfulness-based treatments for anxiety? Maybe. In a recent study, scientists compared patients who took an intensive eight-week mindfulness meditation program to patients who took the anxiety drug Lexapro. Interestingly enough, they found that both interventions worked equally in reducing anxiety symptoms. READ.

The brain benefits of the daily crossword puzzle

Completing a crossword puzzle is definitely a brain workout. But how helpful are the puzzles when it comes to preventing or slowing cognitive decline? A new study finds that regularly attempting crossword puzzles, on or offline, may help slow decline in people with mild cognitive impairment. Although more research needs to be done to fully understand the benefits compared to other cognitive training games, it is clear that the game activates the mind. READ.

Feeling unmotivated? Experts have suggestions

1. Get clear on what you're going after

2. Cultivate self-awareness

3. Create an environment conducive to motivation

4. Make sure you're minding your physical health

5. Pay attention to resistance

6. Get your thoughts out on paper

7. Let yourself be supported

8. Make small shifts

9. Lean into the unknown

Read MORE.

Selena Gomez is being honored for her mental health advocacy

Selena Gomez is an incredibly impactful figure and voice in the mental health space. Through her willingness to be open and vulnerable about her personal experiences with her mental health and bipolar disorder, Gomez has opened the door for more young people to feel empowered to address their well-being. This week, we are excited to highlight Selena, as she is honored as the recipient of the Morton E. Ruderman Award in Inclusion by The Ruderman Family Foundation, a non-profit that aims to expand access to essential mental health programs and services. READ.

Random Acts

It’s World Kindness Week. Founded in 2010, Random Acts is a global non-profit organization centered around facilitating and executing projects focused on performing random acts of kindness. Dedicated to inspiring acts of goodwill worldwide, Random Acts embodies and promotes that you can conquer the world one random act of kindness at a time. To donate or learn more about how to spread kindness in your community, head HERE.

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