As we closed out August and prepared for the start of a new season, we thought it was a paw-fect time to check in with our community members and share some much needed self-care and mental health tips and tricks. And what better way to increase serotonin levels than to include puppies, pet portraits, and more?

 
 

Our Mind of a Maker: Coloring Outside the Lines activation invited our 250 E Ponce community members to gather in the courtyard to explore non-traditional methods such as art and pet therapy to better take care of one’s mental health. 

Hosted by Robyn Patterson and PAWS Atlanta, the two teamed up to inform attendees about the benefits of both, sharing that art can be both therapeutic and meditative. Creating art can be a time fully focused around what you’re working on and you can even set a positive intention to keep in mind as you do your art of choice. A suggestion of doing your art project outdoors was also mentioned, as it’s a way to simultaneously get some fresh air and vitamin D!

As for the benefits of puppies, well that kind of speaks for itself. Ravenclaw, Lo, Play-Doh, and Angeline were a hit and they even sparked interest of adoption and fostering amongst our members. This came to no surprise, of course, as PAW Atlanta’s mission clearly states that they believe “people and pets bring out the best in each other” and they work hard at building a community of caring via “people helping pets and pets helping people.”

And if that wasn’t enough to put a smile on your face, we had an added bonus of surprise guest and wellness coach, Tracy Hall, share even more tips for improving mental health! Tracy, who hosts a women's mental wellness meeting once a week, spoke a lot about meditation and group therapy. She even had participants set positive intentions for self-care and made a vision board out of it, featuring the following:

I Intend To:

  • Enjoy the present moment

  • Honor 'me' time

  • Laugh more

  • Meditate and communicate with my future self to seek direction for my current self

  • Fully release old resentments

  • Live with more zest

  • Release what no longer serves me

  • Be me

Piggybacking off of that, we asked what methods of self-care our community members are currently utilizing:

It was truly heartwarming (and mood-boosting!) to see how our members interacted with the hosts and puppies, and to also see the numerous ways in which they practice self-care. We’re hopeful they’ll take their new positive mindset into the next month and will continue to feel focused and refreshed.