{"id":1603,"date":"2022-06-14T09:44:12","date_gmt":"2022-06-14T13:44:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/?p=1603"},"modified":"2022-06-17T14:34:17","modified_gmt":"2022-06-17T18:34:17","slug":"the-power-of-positive-thinking-amid-a-mental-health-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/issue\/volume-40-no-5\/the-power-of-positive-thinking-amid-a-mental-health-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"The power of positive thinking amid a mental health crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Dr.
Dr. Stephen Birchak. Photo via www.docbird.com<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

June 17, 2022 — <\/em>Times have been tough for PEF members the last few years \u2013 thousands faced COVID on the job as essential workers or endured the isolation brought on by the pandemic; and now, everyone is adjusting to record-high inflation and returning to work amid still prevalent COVID cases statewide.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe recognize how important it is to bring us together to talk about wellness, mental health and stress management,\u201d said PEF Vice President Randi DiAntonio during a webinar with Dr. Stephen Birchak, also known as \u201cDr. Bird,\u201d a leading national speaker in the positive psychology movement.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

DiAntonio said Dr. Bird has spoken to PEF members before and \u201cyou walk out of a room after a meeting with Dr. Bird feeling like you have a better sense of how to handle things that you have no control over.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A professor emeritus at the College of St. Rose, Dr. Bird has trained critical mental health providers and has dedicated his life to positive psychology.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe world is a very challenging place,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are so many variables we can\u2019t control. It\u2019s not about changing the environment around us, sometimes we can\u2019t. We have to look at ourselves and what can I do with what I have right now?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no magic wand, but there are things we can do together to be able to help each other through this,\u201d he said. \u201cThere is no agency, or administration, or government that can guarantee that life will be normal. Change is the new normal.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Bird focused on how we can continue to nurture our positivity, mental health, and coping skills by remembering the power of compassion, connections, and courage.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Compassion<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The last two years have been a rollercoaster.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you found yourself crying in the last two years, that\u2019s a sign that you are still invested in life,\u201d Dr. Bird said. \u201cIf you didn\u2019t feel anything, I would be concerned about you. The three easiest words in English are \u2018I don\u2019t care.\u2019 Once we hear those words come out of our mouth, we lose all our power.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So how do we rebuild ourselves?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCompassion, connections and courage,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Self-compassion is the most important place to start. \u201cYou can\u2019t give away something you don\u2019t have,\u201d Dr. Bird said. Self-compassion is about loving your best self, he continued. \u201cA lot of people live a life of \u2018should\u2019 and then we\u2019re miserable because we can\u2019t like our best self.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Not only does low self-esteem hurt you, but it also hurts those around you. Low opinion of yourself spreads to your inner circle \u2013 and then outward, bringing everyone down with you. Road rage, Facebook rage, Twitter rage: \u201cOn the way to work we are thinking of everything that can go bad. When you get there, you have nine stories in your head about how the day is going to go bad.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Bird said impatience is immoral.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere are real crises in the world,\u201d he said. \u201cThe pandemic is a real crisis. Guns and murder, these are real crises. 9\/11 was a real crisis. Having a loved one die. These are real crises. But long lines at Dunkin\u2019, that\u2019s not a crisis. Who left the dishes in the sink, not a crisis. Not everything is a crisis. Is it a crisis or is it\u00a0 an inconvenience?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As public employees, PEF members have to be ambassadors of kindness, said Dr. Bird. \u201cIf we are not the ones who are trying to make the world a calmer place, then who is?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Connections<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Dr.The right connections, like family, colleagues and loved ones, as opposed to \u201cemotional vampires,\u201d are vital for a positive outlook.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have seen some horrific things in the news, but I guarantee for every horrific incident, there are thousands of other things that people have done that have been kind and patient and loving,\u201d Dr. Bird said. \u201cPeople talk about passengers on planes all out of control. I have flown thousands of times and I\u2019ve never seen a fight. I\u2019ve seen somebody help someone with a piece of luggage; help a mother with a stroller; I\u2019ve seen thousands of acts of kindness for every horrific one.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHave you ever allowed a negative co-worker, rude stranger, negative social media, or negative talk show to alter your positive attitude?\u201d he said. \u201cHow will you choose to retain your positivity?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Bird said everyone should try to spend time focusing on things they are grateful for or that make them smile each day. Take a break from the cyber world of negativity. After a while, you will start to notice things that are going well instead of dwelling on things that aren\u2019t.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRumination can change brain chemistry,\u201d he said. \u201cIt can cause anxiety and depression. Is doing what I\u2019m doing getting me what I want?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Courage<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Be courageous even if you aren\u2019t comfortable, he advised.\u00a0 It\u2019s OK to \u201cdo it afraid.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFearlessness is overrated,\u201d Dr. Bird said. \u201cIf you\u2019re completely fearless, you are dangerous. Having some fear is natural. When we have to do important things in life, we\u2019ve got to do it afraid. You have to let go of being perfect. Do you want to be happily flawed, or perfectly miserable?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For short inspirational positive change videos (5-7 minutes each), visit Dr. Bird\u2019s <\/span>YouTube Channel<\/span><\/a>. To connect with Dr. Bird, visit <\/span>www.docbird.com<\/span><\/a> or email jerkwhisperer@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

June 17, 2022 — Times have been tough for PEF members the last few years \u2013 thousands faced COVID on the job as essential workers or endured the isolation brought…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"division":[],"allowed_regions":[],"allowed_divisions":[],"class_list":["post-1603","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","issue-volume-40-no-5"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe power of positive thinking amid a mental health crisis - PEF Communicator<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/issue\/volume-40-no-5\/the-power-of-positive-thinking-amid-a-mental-health-crisis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The power of positive thinking amid a mental health crisis\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"June 17, 2022 — Times have been tough for PEF members the last few years \u2013 thousands faced COVID on the job as essential workers or endured the isolation brought...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/issue\/volume-40-no-5\/the-power-of-positive-thinking-amid-a-mental-health-crisis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"PEF Communicator\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-06-14T13:44:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-06-17T18:34:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/DrBird-Story.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"ccanham\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"ccanham\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-40-no-5\\\/the-power-of-positive-thinking-amid-a-mental-health-crisis\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-40-no-5\\\/the-power-of-positive-thinking-amid-a-mental-health-crisis\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"ccanham\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0677b03b1fcdadfe00f4e905b97b90e4\"},\"headline\":\"The power of positive thinking amid a mental health crisis\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-06-14T13:44:12+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-06-17T18:34:17+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-40-no-5\\\/the-power-of-positive-thinking-amid-a-mental-health-crisis\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":937,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-40-no-5\\\/the-power-of-positive-thinking-amid-a-mental-health-crisis\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2022\\\/06\\\/DrBird-Story.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-40-no-5\\\/the-power-of-positive-thinking-amid-a-mental-health-crisis\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-40-no-5\\\/the-power-of-positive-thinking-amid-a-mental-health-crisis\\\/\",\"name\":\"The power of positive thinking amid a mental health crisis - 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