Letter from the Editor
June is a delightful time of year. There is a great deal of closure and celebration happening with various graduations and the end of the school of year. We’ll also celebrate fathers this month and wall the wonderful contributions they bring to our families. Amongst all of this happiness, I am reminded of the innate power of smiling, and how the simple act can actually help precipitate happiness and lift our mood in real time.
The magic of smiling at a stranger on the street or at a grocery story is such a simple form of communication that we’ve experienced so little of these past two years. A simple smile can literally make someone’s entire day. Plus when we smile, we feel happier as well, so why to take the time this month to
smile more and to find happiness in the little things. All that smiling is sure to improve your emotional wellness, but if you’re still struggling, it’s important to know and understand that emotional wellbeing matters and it’s perfectly okay to prioritize tending to it within our busy lives. Mental, physical and emotional wellbeing are all connected and they affect our entire body in more ways than we realize. Sometimes people write off emotional wellbeing as being extraneous or unimportant. We hear things like, “shake it off,” or “toughen up.” But It’s important to recognize our emotions as signals for what our physical bodies and minds actually need. There is absolutely no shame in that. This leads nicely into another topic this month, which is men’s health. Men are often told the above mantras in greater frequency than women. They are expected to just carry on through any hardship without flinching or processing. Mental, physical and emotional wellbeing are just as important for men as women, and it’s often up to us as women to make sure that the men in our lives are taking care of themselves and receiving the support they need to be well. They should be getting the right screenings, managing their stress levels and addressing any emotions that are coming up for them. We are at our healthiest when these three areas are in balance. We’ll also talk about PTSD in this issue, and how it can have a real impact on daily life for those suffering with it and those close to them. We’ll discuss how to manage PTSD and what can be done to support those we love. Last, but not least, June is PRIDE month. We’ll share some uplifting messages for our friends in the LGBTIA community. Let June be about expressing yourself and taking pride in who you are – no matter who that might be. So dig into this June issue and let’s celebrate life, health and wellbeing this month, and let’s do it with a smile on our faces.
