“Shuddhi” & Synchronicities: Mental Health Awareness

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Early in January this year I set up a Facebook page, "Meraki by Me, Raakhee" to share my creations and honor my New Year resolution to create more than I consume. In a wonderful demonstration of "synchronicities" as mentioned by one of the online participants of the session I attended, the universe conspired to help me and I came across a WhatsApp Status updaate for a "curated reading" of Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way the night before the event. 

To boost my creativity and mental health, on Tuesday, 19 May 2026, I participated in this hybrid Reading Circle session led by Swathy, an ace educational therapist, of Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way at Shuddhi Space. The book as toolkit to boost creativity and the circle of supportive young minds at Shuddhi Space recharged me. Perfect activity for May which is Mental Health Awareness Month. 

The word "Shuddhi" means healing or cleansing, and the space is all about "Together toward Holistic Healing."  Mission Accomplished!

We exchanged ideas, learnings, gratitude and little mementoes to wrap up the session. I've come away thrilled that one of my creations - an artwork "Star of the Sea" that I posted about on my Facebook page Meraki by Me, Raakhee now hangs in the "Friends of Shuddhi" Corner along with its repurposed plastic sleeve with hanger a garment I bought came in as instant picture frame.

Here's to Sunrise Walks and "Morning Pages" to boost mental health and kick start creativity.

SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-Being

Climate Change and Mental Health 

In addition to winter blues and seasonal depression, the new weather related mood disrupter is heat. Heat stress increase in irritability, arguments and domestic violence. Extreme heat in addition to many other women-specific vulnerabilities disproportionately affects women's health and their mental health.

Humidity and high night-time temperatures disrupt sleep and affect mental health, mood and productivity.

Create to Combat Cognitive & Mental Health Decline 

pic.twitter.com/02Cs12fe2s

— Cozyreads (@Cozyreads_) May 4, 2026

Becoming by Creating 

A powerful reading of Kurt Vonnegut's November 2006 letter to students by thespian par excellence Sir Ian McKellan on the power of creating and creativity in helping one find oneself and becoming!

Healthy Bodies for Healthy Minds 

Ancient philosopher Musonious was an ardent proponent that healthy bodies are vital for healthy minds.

Exercise, Dancing, Singing, Listening to Uplifting and Foot-tapping Music, Meditation, Yoga, Tai Chi, Deep Breathing, Tapping and trying to be aware of your inner workings and emotions by listening to your body by shutting out the outside noise and focusing inwards all help with boosting mental health and well-being.

Mindless and repetitive physical activity, a kind of meditative movement helps deal with faltering moods and creative blocks. Britain's Wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill was famous for fighting off his dark moods - his depression through bricklaying. 

Winston Churchill fought his depression with bricks. He'd lay them for hours at his country home in Kent. He joined the bricklayers' union. And in 1921 he wrote about why it worked. It took psychology another 75 years to catch up.

He called his depression the "Black Dog." It… https://t.co/QfAsWvT9KB

— Anish Moonka (@anishmoonka) May 5, 2026

Female Friendships, a Nurturing Circle of Friends, a Supportive Social Life

Rural women from Kutch, Gujarat, embroidering together - supportive community and income stream

(SDG 11: Sustainable Community and SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth)

                                                  

A supportive circle is everything. Be it family, friends or community, mood and mental health is healed by a nurturing and supportive circle of people. 

Heal in Nature 

Traditional remedies are very effective in tackling mental health challenges and in places like Japan, Finland & Greece they actually prescribe spending time in nature to reset circadian rhythms and cortisol levels and manage mental health.

"Few people know how to take a walk. The qualifications are endurance, plain clothes, old shoes, an eye for nature, good humour, vast curiosity, good speech, good silence, and nothing too much."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson pic.twitter.com/elMQFfOgld

— Cian McCarthy (@arealmofwonder) May 9, 2026

Forest Bathing or Shinrin-yoku in Japan, actual sea bathing (jumping into the Mediterranean Sea) in Greece, and hiking, sun & sauna time in Finland all are prescribed as healing practices for those struggling with mental health challenges. Audio Therapy of the Golden Frequency (432 Hertz) and even bird song also is effective in lowering cortisol levels - the so-called golden frequency in the golden ratio (1.618) helps heal. As does just the act of getting out of your head and observing minutely the miracle of nature surrounding you. 

Part 2. Charles Dickens swam in freezing sea water every morning before he could write. He built himself an ice-cold shower under a 150-foot waterfall in 1849. He wrote letters explaining why it worked. The chemistry of what he was doing has only just been measured.

Dickens…

— Anish Moonka (@anishmoonka) May 16, 2026

Charles Dickens fought his depression by walking through London at night. One October he set out at 2 in the morning and walked 30 miles, all the way to his country home in Kent. In 1860 he wrote about why it worked. It took psychology another 150 years to catch up.

Dickens… pic.twitter.com/l7ptbBytbJ

— Anish Moonka (@anishmoonka) May 15, 2026

Healing Plants 

 Insomnia, anxiety and stress are things tackled through plant extracts targeting the five senses. A popular example is Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) for stress relief. 

Then there is the obvious, food of the gods - Chocolate that has been repeatedly proved to be a health and well-being powerhouse - Theobromine the active component in chocolate/cocoa is truly a miraculous one. 

While exploring herbal health solutions, nothing beats Traditional know-how like Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Forest herbs, kashayams (elixirs stirred up on kitchen stoves by concerned wives, mothers and grandmothers) and kitchen garden remedies passed down through generations are still very effective in boosting health, well-being,  mood and mental health. 

Women Winning International Awards for Environmental Action

 

Recently there was mainstream media news bytes in between all the din of election news that two Indian Women Conservationists won the Whitley Awards - also popularly  known as the "Green Oscars" - at the near end of Earth Month (April, as Earth Day is April 22nd). 

Parveen Shaikh, a scientist with the Bombay Natural History Society for her conservation efforts to protect the riverine bird the Indian Skinner, and Barkha Subba, a scientific advisor to the NGO the Federation of Societies for Environmental Protection for her work to protect the Himalayan Salamander in Darjeeling of West Bengal, were both honored at the Royal Geographic Society in London on April 29th, 2026 by Princess Anne.

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A post shared by Whitley Fund For Nature (@whitleyawards)

The Wire and The Better India did wonderfully informative stories on these superwomen from India and beyond.

Dr. Kirthi K. Karanth, another Indian woman and scientist working to mitigate man-animal conflict was recognized as a National Geographic as its 2026 Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year. In the time of the Climate Crises and increased Man-Animal Conflicts due to encroachment and unsustainable development of key animal habitats we need conservationists more than ever. 

For 28 years, Krithi Karanth worked in the spaces most people avoid — where forests meet farms, and survival meets fear.

She didn’t see “Humans Vs Wildlife.”
She saw a broken relationship worth fixing.

Now, she is the first Indian to be named the 2026 Rolex National Geographic… pic.twitter.com/MeQ5oeIzWF

— The Better India (@thebetterindia) May 8, 2026

Internationally all six awards of what is purported to be the Green Nobels - the 6 Goldman Environmental Prizes went to six women - awarded in United States to environmental scientists, environmental activists, environmentalists and conservationists from across the globe.

There is a long history of community leadership and scientific study by women which has been impactful from the Chipko Movement of the hill state of Uttarakhand (then part of Uttar Pradesh) in India to Jane Goodall, an amateur who became the voice of the voiceless creatures she observed and served. 

As with all greats they are first misunderstood and then recognized and rewarded, if lucky in their lifetime. They face down the remorseless entrenched systems that exploit the world and consume its resources greedily. 

These women and the many unrecognized and courageous grassroots and scientific conservationists are vital in preserving biodiversity and life on land and beyond (SDG 15).  By recognizing the struggles of women scientists and environmental activist we give gender equality (SDG 5) a boost in a very challenging and male-dominated field which is overwhelmed by the onslaught of Big Interests, Big Power and Big Industry. 

The reputation and experiences of Polish conservationist and "zoo-psychologist" Dr. Simone Kossak demonstrate this resistance to environmental conservation especially by women in the face of  what is deemed "development". First dismissed as a witch and animal-whisperer, the daughter and granddaughter of established nationally revered  artists, she chose to become a scientist and in 1971 started working in situ in the forests bordering Poland and Belarus in a hut without electricity and mod-cons to save endangered lynxes and wolves among other native species.  She stood up to those exploiting the wildlife and natural resources and faced down big industrial interests at great personal and legal peril.  Finally her efforts were recognized in addition to saving Life on Land (SDG 15) while also boosting Gender Equality in the scientific and conservation communities. A big win for sustainable development whenever it happens - recognition and gratitude to conservationists especially women scientists' community-level efforts to preserve nature. 

Locals called her a witch. Animals followed her through the forest. A lynx slept beside her. A wild boar lived in her bed for 17 years. A crow stole official documents and shredded them on her roof. She lived 30 years in a wooden lodge with no electricity, confiscated illegal… pic.twitter.com/ZgYhw1amvb

— SubRosa )✿( Magick @subrosamagick.bsky.social (@SubRosaMagick) May 10, 2026

May Day and Mental Health - For People & Planet

 May Day 2026 brings together multiple international, labor, religious and ancient festivals. One message common to all these observations for me is the support for mental wellness and mental health. This support is vital for both people and planet as the well-being of the planet is intrinsically connected to the well-being of people and vice-versa. 

This May Day which itself has links to Roman festivities to welcome the season of light - Summer - coincides with Beltane (Ancient Gaelic, Pagan & wiccan), Buddha Jayanthi (also called Vesak) and full moon festivals observed in India (Chitra Pournami/Vaishakha Poornima), and the Scorpio Full Moon.

The effect of the moon on the state of our mind, vital for our mental health and well-being, has long been observed. 

May Day since the 19th Century Haymarket Affair of Chicago has also been observed as International Worker's Day, a.k.a. Labor Day. Thus beyond the May pole and Beltane fires of fertility and protection especially on the farm, May Day has come to represent the rights of workers. Labor Day 2026's theme is "Encouraging a Healthy Psychosocial Working Environment. This again puts health and well-being, especially mental well-being front and center. This in turn flows into SDG 3 (Sustainable Development Goal 3 - Good Health and Well-Being). 

Mental Well-Being 

A healthy working environment makes for happy workers. In our ever warming world and an economy filled with gig workers and laborers who work under the sun (construction and farm workers, delivery persons, drivers and motorists transporting people and things as well as running errands for those who don't want to step into severe weather (heat and humidity, monsoon, snow days, etc.) the traffic-filled or polluted environment, setting up comfortable shelters where they can rest and take a break from the harsh outdoors is a boon. Ensuring right to leisure and humane working hours and working conditions also makes for a healthy psychosocial working environment and workers with happy and healthy minds and bodies instead of just exploited and productive ones. Weather cooling hubs or rest pods, whether in Spain or in Chennai, when workers face a harsh environment, shelter is a vital workers' right. 

Tackling Unpaid Care Work & Climate Action 

For prosperous and peaceful people and planet a "healthy psychosocial environment" is vital whether at home or at work. It is "integrated solutions for intersectional crises." This addresses multiple SDGs but especially SDG 5 - Gender Equality and SDG 13 - Climate Action for Sustainable Development in the face of  multiple intersectional crises. 

As mentioned in the April posts on Women Farmers, unpaid care work in the domestic setting (in homes) unfairly eats in to the time and rights of women and girls. Care work just like climate action are vital to keep the "working environment" friction-less and comfortable. Taking care of the home involves endless chores but only when they are all taken care off a worker can perform without mental burden. Supporting and paying for this "ease and comfort" in the home and hearth as well as the workplace makes for happy people and by default, a happy planet. 

Lindsey Jones-Renaud's zine summary of the policy paper "Climate Change and Care Work: Integrated Solutions for Intersectional Crises" highlights this connect between Care and Climate Change and thus the need for climate action that supports those burdened with extra unpaid care work in are warming planet. 

"There is a fundamental link between caring for people and caring for the planet. Both are essential for human survival, yet both are exploited for short-term economic profit. This zine summarizes the policy implications of the intersecting care-climate crises and presents recommendations for taking action. It is adapted from the 2024 policy paper of the same name, which was published by a coalition of international organizations. You can find the full report here."

Peace and Prosperity, Health and Happiness are what most of us hope for in our ideal lives at home and in the workplace - anywhere in the planet. 

A healthy planet with healthy people at peace makes this happen. Our environment shapes us - thus making our environment healthy will make us all healthy and happy. Thus employers should remember this and for sustained profits at least ensure a healthy psychosocial working environment.