WAY Collaborative promotes self-care as a support for mental health on International Self-Care Day

KEMPTVILLE, ONTARIO, JULY 21, 2023 – North Grenville’s WAY (Wellness Access for Youth) collaborative wants to spread the word that July 24 is International Self-Care Day, a day to recognize the importance of self-care for our mental and physical health.

“Self-care includes anything that we do to care for our physical, psychological, and emotional health,” said Dan MacKinnon, the Navigator for WAY, a collaborative made up of service providers who provide, refer, and support mental health and addictions services for children and youth aged 12 to 25 years of age in North Grenville.

WAY Navigator Dan MacKinnon

“Self-care is about taking time to do things you enjoy or that make you feel better, especially when you feel stressed,” MacKinnon added, “like riding a bike, playing music, or connecting with friends.”

7/24  – the day chosen for International Self-care Day – reminds us that we experience the benefits of self-care 7 days a week, 24 hours a day,

“Self-care can help you manage stress, lower your risk of illness, and increase your energy,” said Lorena Crosbie, Executive Director of Children’s Mental Health of Leeds and Grenville, a founding WAY partner. “Self-care is linked to improved mental health, self-esteem, self-worth, and optimism.”

Crosbie noted that while summer brings warm weather and a long break from school, the lack of routine and daily interaction with friends can be stressful. For children and youth experiencing mental health challenges over the summer, help is only a phone call away. Calling 1-866-741-1WAY (1929) provides access to the services of all the WAY partners.

WAY can help with mental health, substance use health, food insecurity, housing, employment, transportation to appointments, and more. WAY can also connect parents and caregivers to help through PLEO – Parents’ Lifelines of Eastern Ontario.

For more information about WAY, visit http://www.kdh.on.ca/WAY/

Find out more about how to de-stress with self-care at https://www.camh.ca/-/media/files/gc-schools-self-care-infographic-pdf.pdf

About WAY – Wellness Access for Youth

WAY – Wellness Access for Youth – is a collaborative made up of service providers who provide, refer, and support mental health and addictions services for children and youth aged 12 to 25 years of age in North Grenville. The overall goal of WAY is to increase access to safe, efficient, effective, timely and equitable integrated mental health and addictions services for children, youth and families living in North Grenville. WAY was formerly known as The Mental Health and Addictions Health Hub for Children and Youth in North Grenville and will be an integral component of the Ottawa West Four Rivers Ontario Health Team.  www.kdh.on.ca/WAY/

For further information contact:

Jenny Read, Communications Officer

Kemptville District Hospital

T: 613.258.6133 extension 223

Email: jread@kdh.on.ca