Coping with cumulative loss is distressing. These past few years have been upending for the many whose brains battled cognitive overload trying to process fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. The ongoing health and political crises have affected people’s mental health around the world. The effects will be long-lasting. Many people are suffering — some worse than others, depending on gender, personality, age, health, socioeconomic status, and race. Ongoing research shows that people are experiencing mental health issues at higher rates than before the pandemic. Issues include stress, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  

To help Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association (KEHA) members deal with the many different types of loss individuals and families may have experienced over the past few years, the Family and Individual Development Program of Work (POW) is reaching in (versus reaching out) and addressing self-care. The 2022-2023 program focuses on Self-Care and Mental Health: Taking care of YOU.  

To encourage self-care, the KEHA Homemakers in Pike County took part in the Self-Care and Mental Health: Taking care of YOU lesson. 8 participants attended the lesson. The lesson helped participants to gain knowledge about mental health and self-care, healthy eating/physical activity and self-care.  8 participants made self-care survival kits and intend to make these survival kits with their homemaker clubs.