Dear friends,

With only a few weeks left until the election, overwhelm is on the rise. The AAT clinical team came together to offer some guidance on how you can best protect your mental health in this political climate. We’ve also got a new blog post on finding community when you’re a new parent (and it’s still a pandemic out there). 

With so many exhausting things on our minds these days, make sure you’re carving out time for yourself that’s NOT spent doomscrolling through social media. 

Got an hour? Take an “awe walk” (link below!). 

Got twenty minutes? Read a few pages of a book or do a doodle. 

Got ten minutes? Make a cup of tea (this is nice, for something different).

Got thirty seconds? Pause. Unclench your jaw. Release your shoulders. Take a deep breath. 

Or just take a moment and mindfully enjoy this newsletter. We like to think of it as the opposite of doomscrolling.

Take good care,

Dot

Alexandria Art Therapy was featured on the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership’s blog this week. It was nice to get to share a bit more about the practice, as well as our favorite thing about being located in Alexandria. We hope you’ll check it out!

If you’re stuck on a screen all day, Window Swap makes a really lovely break. Take in the view from windows all over the world. 

Awe walks: we know exercise is good for our mental health, but could this approach to taking a walk boost the positive effects even more? 

An app recommendation from Laura Miles: “I love to use the Particle Flow app when I'm waiting for something but don't want to mindlessly scroll through my phone.”

Something to watch: Laura also recommends Connected: a science journalist explores the ways we are connected to each other, the world, and the universe. 

In praise of solvable problems: “There’s something about keeping your hands busy when your brain feels broken.” 

And The flip side of uncertainty, by @sophia.joan.short: