Reflecting on World Mental Health Day
By: Kären Robinson
When I was asked to write something for mental health day, I found myself coming back to one of my favorite poems, Mary Oliver’s Wild Geese. Oliver’s words – specifically her lines about “Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine / Meanwhile the world goes on” remind me about the resilience of the natural world and time’s unrelenting march forward. As a mental health clinician working with graduate healthcare students, the people that I work with express to me their deepest sorrows and biggest struggles as well as the difficulty of continuing on in the face of their experiences.
Oftentimes, I hear from students that the hardest part is carrying on alone, feeling that no one understands. But does studying and practicing medicine have to be such an isolating experience? Oliver’s poem ends with a call to connect: “Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, / the world offers itself to your imagination, / calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting – / over and over announcing your place / in the family of things.” Perhaps the world is calling to each and every person in our RVU community to connect with one another, support one another, and make space for one another. All it takes is a little imagination to designate some time to taking care of ourselves and each other.
I would like to invite you to think about how you will connect with your classmates, your colleagues, your mentors, your faculty – those who know what it is to walk where you have walked. It is so important that you cultivate a strong support network.
I would also like to invite you to think about how you will maintain and enhance your well-being. Will you regularly attend events that teach you how to manage stress and burnout? How will you engage in leisure activities? Do you have a PCP, dentist, optometrist? What are you doing to move your body? Do you know where you could seek mental health therapy if you were to experience burnout or a mental health condition? These are just a few questions to mull over; our Mental Health and Wellness team is here to help.
Kären Robinson is the Director of Mental Health and Wellness Services for the Colorado and Utah campuses. To learn more about Mental Health and Wellness Services, visit www.rvu.edu/mentalhealth