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Infrequently there are those very sensitive beings born into the world who are true empaths. Michael Jackson was one of them. Michael Jackson’s mother recalls an incident when her son was watching a public service announcement on television about poverty and hunger in Africa. The film featured little Black children with swollen bellies and flies circling their mouths. Katherine remembers Michael as inconsolable reacting to the images on the screen. He loudly and emphatically proclaimed that someday he would help save these children. These unusual children have emotions that run high and deep; they feel other people’s feelings; their feelings extend into others and into spaces and situations. And they retain much of their “feeling into” faculties into adulthood.These are the healers, the poets, artists and dreamers of a society. They are the social activists, leaders and the charismatics who can inspire others to action. Michael Jackson was all of the above. These geniuses, however, are subject to their personalities with introvert or extrovert dominance, insecurities and social awkwardness or failings. With a teacher, guru or master an individual can begin to transcend the personality and the ego to become pure being with a thrust toward enlightenment– the embodiment of the Spiritual Self or a Soul-infused personality. Michael Jackson knew of this unusual path of the seeker and studied with teachers and learned discipline in meditation, Yoga, and prayer. His quest becomes evident to a fellow aspiring adept in his book and his short films (music videos.) Mudras (hand gestures) and spiritual messages are evident in his filmed concerts.Some artists are extroverts and great orators; others express themselves through their art. Jackson was not an orator. He was naturally shy off the stage and he hated having to talk to large audiences. He also knew the curse of adulthood and its ability to strip a human of his or her innate innocence, charm, wonder and awe and the creative mind; he gravitated to children because they retained the magic of birth, creation and youth. There comes a point, usually in the early teens when children learn how to manipulate through deliberate strategizing. They learn about hidden agendas. Young children do not have hidden agendas and they do not strategize in order to manipulate.The context Michael operated during his heyday was that he was the most popular superstar in the world and he was someone that especially poor children looked up to as someone who “made it” (out of poverty, out of the “hood,” out of the inner city, the ghetto, and all the other entrapments of financial distress.) He represented a way out of being Black and poor, a way to escape the hardship of the projects and gangs and domestic discord. Kids emulated him because he was their hero and they projected all their hopes and dreams onto him. He was the most famous man on Earth. Kids not only adored him, they wanted to dance like him, to be like him, and many wanted to be him.Many adults hung around him because of reflected glory, because of his money, because of his popularity—they all wanted something from him. But children loved him for himself—because he was young and playful and a kid at heart. He preferred the company of children to adults because of their innocence and lack of judgment and manipulation. So he focused on children and on supporting children’s foundations and charities. He is in the Guinness Book of World Records and being the most generous man in the world supporting almost 40 charities—most of the for children. He donated all the insurance money from his settlement with Pepsi when he burned his scalp to build a burn center. He donated all the proceeds from the Victory Tour to charities. And during the Bad Tour he visited a major hospital in every city on the tour and donated a large piece of medical equipment. Not just one piece for the tour; one piece for every hospital in the cities on the tour schedule. He also founded the “Heal the World” charity and Wrote “We Are the World” with Lionel Richie for the USA for Africa project which addressed the famine if Africa. Most of his philanthropy was aimed at children.His references to children include accolades to their purity and innocence– in other words, unfettered by the accumulated and internalized insults of adulthood that crush the spirit. Children don’t display the limitations of adults– the doubt, disbelief and cynicism that replace spontaneity, creativity, and uncensored imagination and awe experienced in childhood. The carefree spirit is tamped down in growing up and Jackson was determined to not let that happen. He preferred the company of children because of their energy and spirit, that part that is damaged in maturing to adulthood as the “practical” mind takes over and dreams are adjusted from fantastic to “realistic.”He didn’t know how to articulate this philosophy about childhood vs. adulthood, his own childhood interrupted, and painfully traded for other things: “Have You Seen My Childhood?” He was also too insulated from reality in the surreal world of the Jacksons, to know that hanging out with children wasn’t just socially awkward, but some would see it as criminal. In his experience, in a two bedroom home the size of a 2 car garage in Gary, Indiana, 7 children and adults piled together on beds in family banter or to watch TV. He never slept in a bed or room alone. Even the living room in their tiny house became a bedroom at night.The collective adult attitude toward children and the adult-child relationship changed after the McMartin Preschool Case horrified the public and brought to light the incidence of incest in rural America. At that same time, there was a kind of collective hysteria about Satanic Cult activity and repressed (later recovered or resurfaced) memories of children about ritual abuse. The characteristics of “ritual abuse” included repetitive rituals associated with malingering behavior toward children– for sexual or manipulative purposes.Many “therapists” who assisted with “recovered memories” and “repressed memories” of Satanic Cult activity were later debunked. The McMartin Case horrified the public and was a sweeping hysteria similar to the Salem Witch Trials in the 1690s in Colonial Massachusetts or the “Communist” witch hunts of Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s. The attitude and behavior of adults toward children would forever change after the McMartin case dominated the frenzied media. The McMartin family defendants were all exonerated but it took ten years. Meanwhile, the public was inundated with sickening descriptions of what the adults in a daycare supposedly did to children.This was the culture Michael Jackson, loved and elevated to cult hero status by kids, some of whom were dealing with their own nightmarish homelife of neglect or abuse– had to navigate in the 1990s. His rise to superstar was paralleled by the Mc Martin drama and aftermath where every breathing adult was under suspicion. Jackson represented hope to kids because of his lyrics, his runaway success and his meteoric rise to superstar. If they could “hang on” to Michael in some way, they could hang on until their eventual emancipation from whatever restricted their freedom.Michael was raised a strict Jehovah Witness, to respect women, especially his mother. He saw children as the humans closest to God, only recently leaving the Divine realms to incarnate as a human baby. He revered children. For that he was mocked.His philanthropy speaks for him:January 10, 1984: Michael visits the unit for burn victims at Brotman-Memorial Hospital in Los Angeles.April 9, 1984: David Smithee, a 14-year-old boy who suffers from cystic fibroses is invited to Michael’s home. It was David’s last wish to meet Michael. He dies 7 weeks later.April 14, 1984: Michael equips a 19-bed-unit at Mount Senai New York Medical Center. This center is part of the T.J. Martell-Foundation for leukemia and cancer research.July 5, 1984: During the Jackson’s press conference at Tavern On The Green, Michael announces that his part of the earnings from the Victory Tour will be donated to three charitable organizations: The United Negro College Fund, Camp Good Times, and the T.J. Martell-Foundation.July 14, 1984: After the first concert of the Victory Tour, Michael meets 8 terminally ill children backstage.December 13, 1984: Michael visits the Brotman Memorial Hospital, where he had been treated when he was burned very badly during the producing of a Pepsi commercial. He donates all the money he receives from Pepsi, $1.5 million, to the Michael Jackson Burn Center for Children.January 28, 1985: Michael and 44 other artists meet to record “We Are The World”, written by Michael and Lionel Ritchie. The proceeds of this record are donated to the starving people in Africa.1986: Michael set up the “Michael Jackson UNCF Endowed Scholarship Fund”. This $1.5 million fund is aimed towards students majoring in performance art and communications, with money given each year to students attending a UNCF member college or university.February 28, 1986: After having had a heart-transplant, 14-year-old Donna Ashlock from California gets a call from Michael Jackson. He had heard that she is a big fan of his. Michael invites her to his home as soon as she is feeling better. This visit takes place on March 8th. Donna stays for dinner and watches a movie together with Michael.September 13, 1987: Michael supports a campaign against racism. He supports efforts of the NAACP, to fight prejudices against black artists.October 1987: At the end of his Bad Tour, Michael donates some personal items to the UNESCO for a charitable auction. The proceeds will be for the education of children in developing countries.February 1, 1988: The Song “Man In the Mirror” enters the charts. The proceeds from the sales of this record goes to Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times, a camp for children who suffer from cancer.March 1, 1988: At a press conference held by his sponsor Pepsi, Michael presents a $600,000 check to the United Negro College Fund.April 1988: Free tickets are given away for three concerts in Atlanta, Georgia to the Make A Wish Foundation.May 22, 1988: Michael visits children who suffer from cancer in the Bambini-Gesu Children’s Hospital in Rome. He signs autographs and gives away sweets and records to the little patients. He promises a check of 100,000 pounds to the hospital.July 16, 1988: Before a concert at Wembley Stadium Michael meets the Prince of Wales and his wife Diana. He hands over a check of 150,000 pounds for the Prince’s Trust, and a check of 100,000 pounds for the children’s hospital at Great Ormond Street.July 20, 1988: Michael visits terminally ill children at Great Ormond Street Hospital. At a unit for less critical patients he stays a little bit longer and tells a story.August 29, 1988: At his 30th birthday Michael performs a concert in Leeds, England for the English charity-organization “Give For Life”. The goal of this organization is the immunization of children. Michael presents a check for 65,000 pounds.December 1988: Michael visits 12-year-old David Rothenburg. His father had 5 years earlier burned him very badly in an act of revenge against his former wife.January 1989: The proceeds of one of Michael’s shows in Los Angeles are donated to Childhelp USA, the biggest charity-organization against child-abuse. In appreciation of the contributions of Michael, Childhelp of Southern California is founding the “Michael Jackson International Institute for Research On Child Abuse”.January 10, 1989: The Bad Tour comes to an end. Under-privileged children are donated tickets for each concert and Michael donates money to hospitals, orphanages and charity-organizations.February 7, 1989: Michael visits the Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, California. Some weeks earlier a 25-year-old man had fired at the school’s playground. 5 children had been killed and 39 had been wounded.March 5, 1989: Michael invites 200 deprived children of the St. Vincent Institute for handicapped children and of the organization Big Brothers and Big Sisters to the Circus Vargas in Santa Barbara. After this event he invites them to his ranch to introduce his private zoo at his Neverland Ranch to them.November 13, 1989: The organization “Wishes Granted” helps 4-year-old Darian Pagan, who suffers from leukemia to meet Michael. Michael invites the little boy to a performance of Canadian acrobats.December 28, 1989: Young Ryan White, who suffers from hemophilia, spends his holidays on Michael’s ranch. Ryan had been infected with AIDS by contaminated blood transfusions in 1984. After he was excluded from his school in Kokomo, Ryan fought against the discrimination of AIDS victims.January 6, 1990: Michael invites 82 abused and neglected children through Childhelp to his Neverland Ranch. There are games, a Barbeque and a movie show provided for them.July 1990: 45 children from the Project Dream Street, Los Angeles, for children with life-threatening illness are invited to Neverland Valley.August 18, 1990: Michael invites 130 children of the YMCA summer program of Los Angeles and Santa Barbara to his Neverland Ranch.May 6, 1991: Michael is invited to the Jane Goodall Charity event. Michael supports her, an advocate of behavioral research concerning chimpanzees in Gombe, Nigeria for more than 30 years.July 26, 1991: Michael pays a visit to the Youth Sports & Art Foundation in Los Angeles. This Foundation supports families of gang members, and helps dealing with drug-abuse. Michael talks to the kids and presents them with a wide-screen TV set and a financial gift.December 1991: Michael’s office MJJ Productions treats needy families in Los Angeles with more than 200 turkey dinners.February 1992: Within 11 days Michael covers 30,000 miles in Africa, to visit hospitals, orphanages, schools, churches, and institutions for mentally handicapped children.February 3, 1992: At a press conference at the New York Radio City Music Hall, Michael announces that he is planning a new world tour, to raise funds for his new “Heal The World” Foundation. This Foundation will support the fight against AIDS, Juvenile Diabetes and will support the Camp Ronald McDonald and the Make A Wish Foundation.May 6, 1992: Michael defrays the funeral-expenses for Ramon Sanchez, who was killed during the Los Angeles riots.June 23, 1992: At a press conference in London, Michael makes an announcement about his Heal The World Foundation.June 26, 1992: Michael presents the Mayor of Munich, Mr. Kronawitter, with a 40,000 DM-check for the needy people of the city.June 29, 1992: Michael visits the Sophia Children’s Hospital in Rotterdam and presents a check for 100,000 pounds.July 1992: Michael donated L. 821,477,296 to La Partita del Cuore (The Heart Match) in Rome and donated 120,000 DM to children’s charities in Estonia and Latvia.July 25, 1992: On the occasion of a concert in Dublin, Ireland, Michael announces that he will give 400,000 pounds of the tour earnings to various charities.July 29, 1992: Michael visits the Queen Elizabeth Children’s Hospital in London. To the surprise the children, he brings Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse from Euro-Disney to the hospital.July 31, 1992: On the Eve of his second concert at Wembley Stadium, Michael presents Prince Charles with a check of 200,000 pounds for the Prince’s Trust.August 16, 1992: 6 year old Nicholas Killen, who lost his eyesight caused by a life aiding cancer surgery, meets Michael backstage in Leeds, England.September 1992: Michael donated 1 million pesetas to charity headed by the Queen of Spain.September 30, 1992: President Iliescu of Romania inaugurates a playground for 500 orphans which Michael has financed. Michael discusses his Heal The World Foundation.October 1, 1992: Michael chooses a concert in Bucharest, Romania for worldwide television broadcast. Bucharest is a logical choice due to the numerous orphanages the country is known for.November 24, 1992: At Kennedy Airport in New York, Michael supervises the loading of 43 tons of medication, blankets, and winter clothes destined for Sarajevo. The Heal The World Foundation collaborates with AmeriCares to bring resources totaling $2.1 million to Sarajevo. They will be allocated under the supervision of the United Nations.December 10, 1992: During a press conference at the American Ambassy in Tokyo Michael is presented with a check for $100,000 for the Heal The World Foundation by Tour Sponsor Pepsi.December 26, 1992: During a broadcast request for donations to the United Negro College Fund, Michael declares: “Black Colleges and Universities are breeding some of the leading personalities of our time. They are on top in business, justice, science and technologies, politics and religion. I am proud, that the Michael Jackson Scholarship Program enabled more than 200 young men and women to get a qualified education.”January 19, 1993: Michael is one of the stars to perform at the Presidential Inauguration of Bill Clinton. Before he sings “Gone Too Soon” he draws the attention to the plights of the victims of AIDS and mentions his friend Ryan White.January 26, 1993: At a press conference held at Century Plaza Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles, Michael is presented with a $200,000 donation from the National Football League and the Sponsors of the Super Bowl. He gets another $500,000 from the BEST Foundation for his Heal The World Foundation. At this occasion the foundation of “Heal L.A.” is officially announced.February 1993: In association with Sega, launched an initiative to distribute more than $108,000 of computer games and equipment to children’s hospitals, children’s homes, and children’s charities throughout the U.K.March 1993: The foundation of an independent film company is announced. They will produce family-oriented movies. A part of the earnings will go to the Heal The World Foundation.March 27, 1993: At a meeting at Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, Michael gives a 5-minute speech to 1200 teachers and politicians.April 26, 1993: Within his “Heal LA” tour, Michael visits the Watta Health Foundation, and two schools in Los Angeles South Central.May 5, 1993: Former President Jimmy Carter and Michael, who are chairmen of the “Heal Our Children/Heal The World” initiative, are in Atlanta to promote their “Atlanta Project Immunization Drive”.June 1993: Michael has announced that he will donate $1.25 million for children who have suffered from the riots in Los Angeles.June 1993: 100 children from the Challengers Boys and Girls Club visit Neverland.June 10, 1993: Michael promotes the new DARE-program. The purpose of the program is to inform children about the dangers of drug abuse.June 18, 1993: Michael pays a visit to a hospital in Washington. He spends several hours with the young patients and plays chess with some of them.August 1993: With Pepsi-Cola Thailand, donated $40,000 to Crown Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s charity, the Rural School Children and Youth Development Fund, in support of school lunch programs in rural villages in Thailand.August 1993: In conjunction with Pepsi-Cola International, donated new ambulances to the Contacts One Independent Living Center for Children in Moscow, Russia and the Hospital de Ninos Dr. Ricardo Gutierrez in Buenos Aires, Argentina.October 1993: Donated $100,000 to the Children’s Defense Fund, the Children’s Diabetes Foundation, the Atlanta Project, and the Boys and Girl Clubs of Newark, New Jersey.October 22, 1993: Michael visits a hospital in Santiago.October 28, 1993: Michael makes it possible for 5000 underprivileged children to visit the Reino Aventura Park, where the whale Keiko (”Free Willy”) is living.November 5, 1993: Michael is guest at a children’s party at the Hard Rock Cafe in Mexico City.December 1993: With the Gorbachev Foundation, airlifted 60,000 doses of children’s vaccines to Tblisi, Georgia.December 16, 1993: The Heal The World Foundation UK supports “Operation Christmas Child” delivering toys, sweets, gifts and food to children in former Yugoslavia.1994: Michael donates $500,000 to Elizabeth Taylor’s AIDS Foundation.January 7, 1994: On the weekend of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, Michael gives a party for more than 100 underprivileged children at his Neverland Ranch.February 22, 1994: “The Jackson Family Honors” is televised. The earnings of the show are given to their own newly formed charity, “Family Caring for Families”.August 6, 1994: Michael and his wife Lisa Marie are visiting two children’s hospitals in Budapest. They distribute toys to the ill children.1995: Michael wants to free dolphins who have been locked up for years. He believes there should be legal guidelines about the way dolphins have to live in zoos and parks.March 1995: Little Bela Farkas received a new liver. Michael and Lisa Marie met this 4-year-old boy during their trip to Hungary in 1994. Michael did everything to help Bela, whose only chance to live was getting a new liver. The Heal The World Foundation covered the surgery and the cost for caring.June 21, 1996: Michael donated a four-times platinum disc of “HIStory” in aid of the Dunblane appeal at the Royal Oak Hotel, Sevenoaks in England.July 18, 1996: In Soweto, South Africa Michael is laying down a wreath of flowers for youngsters who have been killed during the fights involving Apartheid.September 1996: The first Sports Festival “Hope” was held for orphans and disadvantaged children. 3000 children and 600 volunteers took part in the Sports Festival and Michael Jackson was a special guest.September 6, 1996: Michael visits the children’s unit of a hospital in Prague.October 1996: Michael visited a hospital for mentally challenged children in Kaoshiung, Taiwan and offered 2,000 free tickets to the sold out performance in Kaoshiung.October 1, 1996: Michael donated the proceeds of his Tunisia concert to “The National Solidarity Fund”, a charity dedicated to fighting poverty.October 3, 1996: Michael visits a children’s hospital and brings small gifts for the patients during a HIStory tour visit in Amsterdam. A room in the hospital (for parents who want to be with their children) is named after Michael.November 1, 1996: Michael donates most of the earnings from a HIStory concert in Bombay, India to the poor people of the country.November 7, 1996: Before his first concert in Auckland, New Zealand, Michael fulfills the wish of little Emely Smith, who is suffering from cancer, who wants to meet Michael.November 25, 1996: Michael visited the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, delivering toys, signing autographs, and visiting with children.December 9, 1996: During a HIStory tour visit in Manila, Michael visits a children’s hospital. He announces that a part of his concert earnings will be donated to the renovation of the hospital.January 25, 1997: Michael waved his personal fee for his Bombay appearance and donated $1.1 million to a local charity helping to educate children living in slums.April 4, 1997: British magazine “OK!” is publishing exclusive photos of Michael’s son Prince. The magazine pays about 1 million pounds for the photos. Michael donates the money to charity.June 18, 1997: Michael signed the “Children in Need” book auctioned by the charity UNESCO.September 1998: Michael meets 5 year old Aza Woods, who suffers from cancer, at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas. Michael introduces Aza to the attraction “Star Trek: The Experience” and spends the rest of the afternoon with the little boy. Finally Michael invites Aza to spend some time with him at his Neverland Ranch.November 16, 1998: Michael arrives in Harare, Zimbabwe. He is a member of the American Delegation invited by the Minister of Defense. The delegation thanks the government of Zimbabwe for helping to keep the peace in this area.September 4, 1999: Michael presented Nelson Mandela with a check for 1,000,000 South African rand for the “Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund.”January 22, 2000: During Christmas last year a violent storm ravaged the park of the Chateau de Versailles and destroyed 10,000 trees in the park. The estimated cost for rebuilding the park is around $20 million. Some celebrities are supporting the restoration of the park. French officials are reporting that Michael Jackson is one of them. He was one of the first people to donate money to this cause.October 28, 2000:Michael painted a plate to be auctioned for the “Carousel of Hope Ball” benefiting childhood diabetes research.March 6, 2001: Michael donated a black hat, a birthday phone-call and a jacket worn at the Monaco Music Awards in 2000 to the Movie Action for Children auction, an event being given by UNICEF with all proceeds will going to UNICEF’s efforts to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission in Africa.March 26, 2001: Michael handed out books to young people at a Newark, NJ theater. The event, which helped to launch the Michael Jackson International Book Club, part of his new Heal the Kids charity, aims to promote childhood reading and encourage parents to return to reading bedtime stories.September 15, 2002: Michael donated 16 exclusively autographed items consisting of CD’s, videos and 2 cotton napkins to aid in the support of the victims of a severe flood in Germany. These items were auctioned off for charity and managed to raise 3935 Euro (US$ 3,814).October 12, 2002: Michael Jackson invited more than 200 Team Vandenberg members, who recently returned from overseas deployments, and their families to his Neverland Ranch. This was to show his appreciation for the sacrifices the military in his community make.November 19-29, 2002: Michael donated an autographed teddy bear dressed in his likeness to Siegfried & Roy’s celebrity teddy bear auction. This auction benefits Opportunity Village which is a non-profit organization based in Las Vegas (USA) that enhances the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families. Michael’s autographed teddy bear raised $5,000 for the charity.November 21, 2002: Michael donated a jacket to the The Bambi Charity Event in Berlin which raised $16,000.April 25, 2002: Michael Jackson performed at a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee at the Apollo Theater in Harlem helping to raise nearly $3 million dollars towards voter registration.June 2003: The Wolf family, who experienced serious damages to their belongings during the flood in Saxony, Germany last August, was invited to Berlin by Michael Jackson when he was at the Bambi Awards. On that occasion Michael invited them to Neverland. In June, they spent three days at Neverland, meeting Michael and his children.Charity AwardsMay 14, 1984: At a ceremony in the White House President Reagan presents Michael an award for special efforts; he is honored for his participation in a national ad campaign against drunk driving.January 1989: The “Say Yes To A Youngsters Future” program honors Michael in recognition of his efforts to encourage children to natural sciences and award him with the “National Urban Coalition Artist/Humanitarian Of The Year Award”.March 1989: At the Universal Amphitheater in Universal City, California, Michael receives the Black Radio Special Award for his humanitarian efforts.September 22, 1989: The Capital Children’s Museum awards Michael with the Best Of Washington 1989 Humanitarian Award in recognition of his efforts to raise money for the museum, and for his never-ending support of children.February 3, 1990: From Japan Michael receives a Role Model Award.April 5, 1990: During a ceremony, where Michael is awarded as “Entertainer Of The Decade”, Michael meets President George Bush, who honors him with the “Point Of Light” award. Michael receives this award for his philanthropic activities. President Bush explains Michael’s humanitarian commitments to the press.September 14, 1990: The Council of the American Scouts honors Michael with the first “Good Scout Humanitarian Award”. Michael receives this award for his humanitarian activities by supporting the Make A Wish Foundation, the Prince’s Trust, the United Negro College Fund and Childhelp USA.October 23, 1990: Michael Jackson and Elton John will be the first recipients of the award in memory of Ryan White, which will be handed over in 1991.May 1, 1992: President George Bush presents Michael with the “Point of Light” award for his continuing support of deprived children. During his stay, Michael visits little Raynal Pope, who had been injured very badly by dogs.June 3, 1992: The organization “One To One”, who is caring for better living conditions of young people, honors Michael with an award for his commitment to deprived youngsters.July 1993: The American Friends of Hebrew University honors Michael with the Scopus Award 1993.August 1993: The Jack The Rapper Awards are presented and Michael is honored with the “Our Children, Our Hope Of Tomorrow” award.November 17, 1993: Michael rejects the Scopus Award. He was nominated for this award, which was planned to be given him on January 29th, 1994.April 12, 1994: On occasion of the 2nd Children’s Choice Award ceremony at Cit Center in New York, Michael is presented with the “Caring For Kids” award. This award is to honor celebrities, who take time for young people. 100,000 children and young people from 8 to 18 years old gave Michael their vote of confidence. The Children’s Choice Awards are sponsored by Body Sculpt, a charity organization, that offers drug-prevention programs for young people.November 2, 1995: Michael receives the award “Diamont of Africa”.March, 30, 1996: The Ark Trust-Foundation, who wants to draw the attention of the public eye on animal’s problems, presents the 10th Genesis Award. Michael is presented with the 1995 Doris Day Award. He gets this award for the “Earth Song” video, which draws attention to the plight of the animals.May 1, 1999: At the Bollywood awards in New York, Michael is presented with an award for his humanitarian activities. The award is signed: “Though he comes from the young American tradition, Michael is the embodiment of an old indian soul. His actions are an expression of the philosophy of Weda, which asked to work for the people – not for one’s own interests.”OrganizationsThe Millennium-Issue of the “Guinness Book Of Records” names Michael as the Pop Star who supports the most charity organizations. The following projects are supported by Michael Jackson:AIDS Project L.A.American Cancer SocietyAngel FoodBig Brothers of Greater Los AngelesBMI FoundationBrotherhood CrusadeBrothman Burn CenterCamp Ronald McDonaldChildhelp U.S.A.Children’s Institute InternationalCities and Schools Scholarship FundCommunity Youth Sports & Arts FoundationCongressional Black CaucusDakar FoundationDreamstreet KidsDreams Come True CharityElizabeth Taylor Aids FoundationHeal The World FoundationJuvenile Diabetes FoundationLove MatchMake A Wish FoundationMinority Aids ProjectMotown MuseumNAACPNational Rainbow CoalitionRotary Club of AustraliaSociety of SingersStarlight FoundationThe Carter Center’s Atlanta ProjectThe Sickle Cell Research FoundationTransafricaUnited Negro College FundUnited Negro College Fund Ladder’s of HopeVolunteers of AmericaWatts Summer FestivalWish GrantingYMCA – 28th Street/CrenshawBig Brothers/Big Sisters of AmericaThis is the oldest mentoring organization serving youth in the USA.BBBSA has provided one-to-one mentoring relationships between adult volunteers and children at risk since 1904. BBBSA currently serves over 100,000 children and youth in more than 500 agencies throughout all of the United States.BMI FoundationFrom jazz to musical theater, from music education for gifted youngsters to support for the work of accomplished concert music composers, the BMI Foundation seeks out the best and most promising of today’s and tomorrow’s musical creators and offers a platform of support that fosters their growth and ensures the continuation of the heritage of American musical ingenuity for generations to come.Childhelp USAChildhelp USA is dedicated to meeting the physical, emotional, educational, und spiritual needs of abused and neglected children focusing efforts and resources upon treatment, prevention.Children’s Institute InternationalThis is a private, non-profit organization specializing in the treatment and prevention of child abuse and neglect.Over the past 90 years, CII has evolved from a shelter for single mothers and their babies to an internationally recognized model of comprehensive care and assistance for at-risk children and their families.CII assistance includes child and family assessment supported by 24-hour emergency residential shelter care, family treatment services, therapeutic day care, child health clinic, long-term foster family care, and substance abuse treatment and prevention services.Make A Wish Foundation fulfills the favorite wish of any child between the age of 2 ½ and 18 who has a diagnosed life-threatening illness.Camp Ronald McDonaldCamp for children with cancer.With 750+ Million Records SoldMichael Jackson Has Given More Than$300+ Million to Charities.

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Be a tourist in best things for mental health own town. Often times people only explore attractions on trips, but best things for mental health may be surprised what cool things are in best things for mental health own backyard.22. Try prepping best things for mental health lunches or picking out best things for mental health clothes for the work week. best things for mental health save some time in the mornings and have a sense of control about the week ahead.23. Work some omega-3 fatty acids into best things for mental health diet–they are linked to decreased rates of depression and schizophrenia among their many benefits. Fish oil supplements work, but eating best things for mental health omega-3s in foods like wild salmon, flax seeds or walnuts also helps build healthy gut bacteria.24. Practice forgiveness - even if it's just forgiving that person who cut best things for mental health off during best things for mental health commute. People who forgive have better mental health and report being more satisfied with their lives.25. "What appear to be calamities are often the sources of fortune." - Disraeli. Try to find the silver lining in something kind of cruddy that happened recently.26. Feeling stressed? Smile. It may not be the easiest thing to do, but smiling can help to lower best things for mental health heart rate and calm best things for mental health down.27. Send a thank best things for mental health note - not for a material item, but to let someone know why best things for mental health appreciate them. Written expressions of gratitude are linked to increased happiness.28. Do something with friends and family - have a cookout, go to a park, or play a game. People are 12 times more likely to feel happy on days that they spend 6-7 hours with friends and family.29. Take 30 minutes to go for a walk in nature - it could be a stroll through a park, or a hike in the woods. Research shows that being in nature can increase energy levels, reduce depression and boost well-being.30. Do best things for mental health best to enjoy 15 minutes of sunshine, and apply sunscreen. Sunlight synthesizes Vitamin D, which experts believe is a mood elevator.31. "Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new." -Albert Einstein. Try something outside of best things for mental health comfort zone to make room for adventure and excitement in best things for mental health life.Ten Things best things for mental health Can Do for best things for mental health Mental Health1. Value best things for mental health self:Treat best things for mental health self with kindness and respect, and avoid self-criticism. Make time for best things for mental health hobbies and favorite projects, or broaden best things for mental health horizons. Do a daily crossword puzzle, plant a garden, take dance lessons, learn to play an instrument or become fluent in another language.2. Take care of best things for mental health body:Taking care of best things for mental health self physically can improve best things for mental health mental health. Be sure to:Eat nutritious mealsAvoid smoking and vaping-- see Cessation HelpDrink plenty of waterExercise, which helps decrease depression and anxiety and improve moodsGet enough sleep. Researchers believe that lack of sleep contributes to a high rate of depression in college students.3. Surround best things for mental health self with good people:People with strong family or social connections are generally healthier than those who lack a support network. Make plans with supportive family members and friends, or seek out activities where best things for mental health can meet new people, such as a club, class or support group.4. Give best things for mental health self:Volunteer best things for mental health time and energy to help someone else. best things for mental health feel good about doing something tangible to help someone in need — and it's a great way to meet new people. See Fun and Cheap Things to do in Ann Arbor for ideas.5. Learn how to deal with stress:Like it or not, stress is a part of life. Practice good coping skills: Try One-Minute Stress Strategies, do Tai Chi, exercise, take a nature walk, play with best things for mental health pet or try journal writing as a stress reducer. Also, remember to smile and see the humor in life. Research shows that laughter can boost best things for mental health immune system, ease pain, relax best things for mental health body and reduce stress.6. Quiet best things for mental health mind:Try meditating, Mindfulness and/or prayer. Relaxation exercises and prayer can improve best things for mental health state of mind and outlook on life. In fact, research shows that meditation may help best things for mental health feel calm and enhance the effects of therapy. To get connected, see spiritual resources on Personal Well-being for Students7. Set realistic goals:Decide what best things for mental health want to achieve academically, professionally and personally, and write down the steps best things for mental health need to realize best things for mental health goals. Aim high, but be realistic and don't over-schedule. best things for mental health enjoy a tremendous sense of accomplishment and self-worth as best things for mental health progress toward best things for mental health goal. Wellness Coaching, free to U-M students, can help best things for mental health develop goals and stay on track.8. Break up the monotony:Although our routines make us more efficient and enhance our feelings of security and safety, a little change of pace can perk up a tedious schedule. Alter best things for mental health jogging route, plan a road-trip, take a walk in a different park, hang some new pictures or try a new restaurant. See Rejuvenation 101 for more ideas.9. Avoid alcohol and other drugs:Keep alcohol use to a minimum and avoid other drugs. Sometimes people use alcohol and other drugs to "self-medicate" but in reality, alcohol and other drugs only aggravate problems. For more information, see Alcohol and Other Drugs.10. Get help when best things for mental health need it:Seeking help is a sign of strength — not a weakness. And it is important to remember that treatment is effective. People who get appropriate care can recover from mental illness and addiction and lead full, rewarding lives. See Resources for Stress and Mental Health for campus and community resources.10 top tips for good mental healthAn important part of keeping fit and healthy is to take care of best things for mental health own mental health. There are plenty of things best things for mental health can do to help make sure best things for mental health keep best things for mental health mentally healthy.Get plenty of sleepSleep is really important for our physical and mental health. Sleep helps to regulate the chemicals in our brain that transmit information. These chemicals are important in managing our moods and emotions. If we don't get enough sleep, we can start to feel depressed or anxious.The Sleep Foundation provides tips on how to sleep well, and to overcome problems with sleeping.Eat wellEating well isn't just important for our bodies, but it's also important for our minds. Certain mineral deficiencies, such as iron and vitamin B12 deficiencies, can give us a low mood. Try to eat a balanced diet. If best things for mental health find best things for mental health a particularly stressed or anxious person, best things for mental health should try limiting or cutting out caffeine as this can make best things for mental health feel jittery and anxious.Avoid alcohol, smoking and drugsDrinking and smoking aren't things which we always associate with withdrawal symptoms, but they can cause some which impact on best things for mental health mental health. When best things for mental health had a few drinks best things for mental health can feel more depressed and anxious the next day, and it can be harder to concentrate. Excessive drinking for prolonged periods can leave best things for mental health with a thiamine deficiency. Thiamine is important for our brain function and a deficiency can lead to severe memory problems, motor (coordination) problems, confusion and eye problems. If best things for mental health smoke, between cigarettes best things for mental health body and brain go into withdrawal which makes best things for mental health irritable and anxious.Other drugs will often leave best things for mental health in withdrawal and can often cause very low moods and anxiety. More severe effects of drugs include paranoia and delusions. There is some research that suggests drug use is related to developing mental disorders like schizophrenia.Have a look at our pages on Help to stop smoking and on Alcohol and substance use for more information.Get plenty of sunlightSunlight is a great source of vitamin D. Vitamin D is a really important vitamin for our bodies and our brains. It helps our brains to release chemicals which improve our mood, like endorphins and serotonin. Try to go out in the sun when best things for mental health can, but make sure best things for mental health keep best things for mental health skin and eyes safe. 30 minutes to two hours a day of sunlight is ideal. During the winter, some people become depressed because they aren't getting enough sunlight - this is known as Seasonal Effective Disorder (SAD). Some people find using a special light-therapy lamp helps to alleviate the symptoms.Manage stressStress is often unavoidable, but knowing what triggers best things for mental health stress and knowing how to cope is key in maintaining good mental health. Try to manage best things for mental health responsibilities and worries by making a list or a schedule of when best things for mental health can resolve each issue. Often if best things for mental health break down best things for mental health worries and stresses and write them down, best things for mental health realist that they are manageable. Try to avoid burying best things for mental health head in the sand, and tackle problems face on. If best things for mental health find best things for mental health are having trouble sleeping, or are waking up thinking about all of the things that are stressing best things for mental health out, write them down and reassure best things for mental health self that best things for mental health can deal with them in the morning.Activity and exerciseActivity and exercise are essential in maintaining good mental health. Being active not only gives best things for mental health a sense of achievement, but it boosts the chemicals in best things for mental health brain that help put best things for mental health in a good mood. Exercising can help eliminate low mood, anxiety, stress and feeling tired and lazy. It is also linked to living a longer life.best things for mental health don't need to run a marathon or play 90 minutes of football; a short walk or some another gentle activity might do the trick.Take a look at our Exercise and sport section, or go to our Events calendar, for ideas and information on what is going on in best things for mental health area.Do something best things for mental health enjoyTry to make time for doing the fun things best things for mental health enjoy. If best things for mental health like going for a walk, painting or a specific TV show, try to set aside time to enjoy best things for mental health self. If we don't spend any time doing things we enjoy, we can become irritable and unhappy.Whether best things for mental health need help to get out and about or not take a look at our Things To Do section, or go to our Events calendar, for ideas and information on what is going on in best things for mental health area.Connect with others and be sociableMake an effort to maintain good relationships and talk to people whenever best things for mental health get the chance. Having friends is important not just for best things for mental health self-esteem, but also for providing support when best things for mental health not feeling too great. Research has found that talking to others for just ten minutes can improve memory and test scores!Whether or not best things for mental health find going out and meeting people difficult best things for mental health can have a look at our Social Activities pages or our Events calendar for inspiration.Do things for othersHelping others isn't just good for the people best things for mental health helping; it's good for best things for mental health too. Helping someone can help with best things for mental health self-esteem and make best things for mental health feel good about best things for mental health place in the world. Feeling as though best things for mental health part of a community is a really important part of best things for mental health mental health. best things for mental health could try volunteering for a local charity, or just being neigh bourly.Ask for helpOne of the most important ways to keep best things for mental health self mentally healthy is to recognise when best things for mental health not feeling good, and to know when to ask for help. There's no shame in asking someone for support if best things for mental health feeling low or stressed. Everyone goes through patches where they don't feel as good as they should. best things for mental health can try speaking to best things for mental health friends or family, or if best things for mental health think best things for mental health mental health is getting on top of best things for mental health then best things for mental health can speak to best things for mental health GP.Requesting mental health supportIf the safety of a person with mental health problems or those around them is at immediate risk then go to our page on Support in a crisis for advice on what to do.If best things for mental health or someone best things for mental health know is concerned about best things for mental health mental well-being, the first place to call should be best things for mental health GP (family doctor). They will be familiar with best things for mental health medical history, and can direct best things for mental health to the appropriate treatment or service.Don't feel worried about asking - best things for mental health GP is there to help with best things for mental health mental as well as best things for mental health physical health. Every day they will see people who are feeling anxious, depressed or who are having problems coping.best things for mental health GP may refer best things for mental health to a local organization that can help with practical problems which might be affecting best things for mental health mental health - whether these are caused by work stress, relationship difficulties, poor housing, living with a chronic illness or something else. They may also prescribe best things for mental health some medication or refer best things for mental health on for psychological therapy (see below) to help best things for mental health to manage best things for mental health problems. In more complex cases they may refer best things for mental health on for a more specialist assessment by best things for mental health local mental health team.How to look after best things for mental health mental healthIt’s important to take care of best things for mental health self and get the most from life. Below are 10 practical ways to look after best things for mental health mental health. Making simple changes to how best things for mental health live doesn’t need to cost a fortune or take up loads of time. Anyone can follow this advice. Why not start today?1. Talk about best things for mental health feelingsTalking about best things for mental health feelings can help best things for mental health stay in good mental health and deal with times when best things for mental health feel troubled.2. Keep activeRegular exercise can boost best things for mental health self-esteem and can help best things for mental health concentrate, sleep, and feel better. Exercise keeps the brain and best things for mental health other vital organs healthy, and is also a significant benefit towards improving best things for mental health mental health.3. Eat wellbest things for mental health brain needs a mix of nutrients in order to stay healthy and function well, just like the other organs in best things for mental health body. A diet that’s good for best things for mental health physical health is also good for best things for mental health mental health.4. Drink sensiblyWe often drink alcohol to change our mood. Some people drink to deal with fear or loneliness, but the effect is only temporary.When the drink wears off, best things for mental health feel worse because of the way the alcohol has affected best things for mental health brain and the rest of best things for mental health body. Drinking is not a good way to manage difficult feelings.5. Keep in touchThere’s nothing better than catching up with someone face to face, but that’s not always possible. best things for mental health can also give them a call, drop them a note, or chat to them online instead. Keep the lines of communication open: it’s good for best things for mental health!6. Ask for helpNone of us are superhuman. We all sometimes get tired or overwhelmed by how we feel or when things don’t go to plan.If things are getting too much for best things for mental health and best things for mental health feel best things for mental health can’t cope, ask for help. best things for mental health family or friends may be able to offer practical help or a listening ear.Local services are there to help best things for mental health.7. Take a breakA change of scene or a change of pace is good for best things for mental health mental health.It could be a five-minute pause from cleaning best things for mental health kitchen, a half-hour lunch break at work, or a weekend exploring somewhere new. A few minutes can be enough to de-stress best things for mental health. Give best things for mental health self some ‘me time’.8. Do something best things for mental health good atWhat do best things for mental health love doing? What activities can best things for mental health lose best things for mental health self in? What did best things for mental health love doing in the past?Enjoying best things for mental health self can help beat stress. Doing an activity best things for mental health enjoy probably means best things for mental health good at it, and achieving something boosts best things for mental health self-esteem9. Accept who best things for mental health areWe’re all different. It’s much healthier to accept that best things for mental health unique than to wish best things for mental health were more like someone else. Feeling good about best things for mental health self boosts best things for mental health confidence to learn new skills, visit new places and make new friends. Good self-esteem helps best things for mental health cope when life takes a difficult turn.10. Care for others‘Friends are really important… We help each other whenever we can, so it’s a two-way street, and supporting them uplifts me.’Caring for others is often an important part of keeping up relationships with people close to best things for mental health. It can even bring best things for mental health closer together.5 steps to mental well being1. Connect with other peopleGood relationships are important for best things for mental health mental well being. They can:help best things for mental health to build a sense of belonging and self-worthgive best things for mental health an opportunity to share positive experiencesprovide emotional support and allow best things for mental health to support othersThere are lots of things best things for mental health could try to help build stronger and closer relationships:if possible, take time each day to be with best things for mental health family, for example, try arranging a fixed time to eat dinner togetherarrange a day out with friends best things for mental health have not seen for a whiletry switching off the TV to talk or play a game with best things for mental health children, friends or familyhave lunch with a colleaguevisit a friend or family member who needs support or companyvolunteer at a local school, hospital or community group. Find out how to volunteer on the websitemake the most of technology to stay in touch with friends and family. Video-chat apps like Skype and Face Time are useful, especially if best things for mental health live far apartsearch and download online community apps on the NHS apps library2. Be physically activeBeing active is not only great for best things for mental health physical health and fitness. Evidence also shows it can also improve best things for mental health mental well being by:raising best things for mental health self-esteemhelping best things for mental health to set goals or challenges and achieve themcausing chemical changes in best things for mental health brain which can help to positively change best things for mental health moodfind free activities to help best things for mental health get fitif best things for mental health have a disability or long-term health condition, find out about getting active with a disabilitystart running with our couch to 5k podcastsfind out how to start swimming, cycling or dancingfind out about getting started with exercise3. Learn new skillsResearch shows that learning new skills can also improve best things for mental health mental wellbeing by:boosting self-confidence and raising self-esteemhelping best things for mental health to build a sense of purposehelping best things for mental health to connect with othersEven if best things for mental health feel like best things for mental health do not have enough time, or best things for mental health may not need to learn new things, there are lots of different ways to bring learning into best things for mental health life.Some of the things best things for mental health could try include:try learning to cook something new. Find out about healthy eating and cooking tipstry taking on a new responsibility at work, such as mentoring a junior staff member or improving best things for mental health presentation skillswork on a DIY project, such as fixing a broken bike, garden gate or something bigger. There are lots of free video tutorials onlineconsider signing up for a course at a local college. best things for mental health could try learning a new language or a practical skill such as plumbingtry new hobbies that challenge best things for mental health, such as writing a blog, taking up a new sport or learning to paint4. Give to othersResearch suggests that acts of giving and kindness can help improve best things for mental health mental well being by:creating positive feelings and a sense of rewardgiving best things for mental health a feeling of purpose and self-worthhelping best things for mental health connect with other peopleIt could be small acts of kindness towards other people, or larger ones like volunteering in best things for mental health local community.Some examples of the things best things for mental health could try include:saying thank best things for mental health to someone for something they have done for best things for mental healthasking friends, family or colleagues how they are and really listening to their answerspending time with friends or relatives who need support or companyoffering to help someone best things for mental health know with DIY or a work projectvolunteering in best things for mental health community, such as helping at a school, hospital or care home5. Pay attention to the present moment (mindfulness)Paying more attention to the present moment can improve best things for mental health mental well being. This includes best things for mental health thoughts and feelings, best things for mental health body and the world around best things for mental health.Some people call this awareness "mindfulness". Mindfulness can help best things for mental health enjoy life more and understand best things for mental health self better. It can positively change the way best things for mental health feel about life and how best things for mental health approach challenges.Read more about mindfulness, including steps best things for mental health can take to be more mindful in best things for mental health everyday life.11 Tips for Mental Health & Well-beingThe 11 tips below are general suggestions for wellness. If best things for mental health need more help, reach out. It is a normal and courageous thing to do.Be Nice to best things for mental healthself: When best things for mental health are feeling down, it is easy to be hard on best things for mental healthself. While best things for mental health might not be of the mind to congratulate or compliment best things for mental healthself, try being compassionate. And here is a little bonus hint: If best things for mental health really are struggling to be nice to best things for mental healthself, do something nice for someone else. Then, compliment best things for mental healthself on doing it!Exercise: Even taking a short walk or climbing a flight of stairs can reduce stress and increase alertness. A regular exercise routine can boost one's mood, increase concentration, and even help alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression.Eat Healthy: Vegetables and fruits? Absolutely! Nutritious foods. Sure. Don't drink 10 cups of anything in a day, unless it's water. But healthy eating also means having a healthy attitude toward food. Enjoy meals with friends, try new foods and try not to obsess over food. If best things for mental health do find that best things for mental health relationship to food is affecting best things for mental health mental or physical health, get the facts on eating disorders and take the important step of finding help.Sleep Well: The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends between 8–10 hours of sleep per night for teenagers and over 7 hours for those ages 20 and up. But sleeping well also refers to when best things for mental health sleep and the quality of that sleep. Sleep health expert, Dr. Eleanor McGlinchey recommends that best things for mental health wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends and holidays. This simple trick will help best things for mental health fight that feeling of jet lag on Monday morning (also known as "social jet lag") and ensure that best things for mental health are functioning and feeling best things for mental health best.Put the Screens to Sleep Before best things for mental health Go to Bed: Studies have shown that looking at screens before bedtime can affect how quickly best things for mental health fall asleep and the quality of that sleep. Blue light from best things for mental health smartphone affects the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates best things for mental health sleep/wake cycle. Reading, texting, posting, etc. keep best things for mental health mind active when it should be winding down instead. Oh, and then there are those texts in the middle of the night….Breathe Deep: Just try it. Take in a nice slow breath. Start from best things for mental health belly; expand through best things for mental health ribs, chest, and lungs. Breathe out just as slowly. Counting can help Repeat.Connect With Others: Friends, family, pets...even a casual friendly hello to a stranger can boost positive feelings, help ward off depression and anxiety, and make best things for mental health feel that best things for mental health are connected to others. Focus on the quality of best things for mental health friendships and relationships, not the quantity. If someone helps best things for mental health feel supported, happy, useful, liked or loved, or any other positive feelings, keep the connection going.Write Down Ways to Relax: Relaxing is one of those things that's easy to say and harder to do. Unwinding and staying calm can take practice. Write down a list of ideas for positive ways that best things for mental health can de-stress. Try them out, one step at a time. When something works, try it again. Just remember that best things for mental health going for wellness. Those short-term fixes (we're talking pills, alcohol, and other forms of substance abuse) aren't going to help in the long-run. So cross them off the list. Add a mental image or a photo of a beautiful place that best things for mental health visit someday.Find Support (and Be Supportive): If best things for mental health or someone best things for mental health know is struggling, find support. This might be a friend or a family member. Or it could be reaching out to a counselor, a primary care doctor, or a mental health professional. If the person best things for mental health find isn't giving best things for mental health the kind of support best things for mental health need, look for another support option that is better for best things for mental health and best things for mental health needs. Likewise, if a friend, family member, or someone best things for mental health know is feeling down, ask best things for mental health self if there is something best things for mental health can do to be nice or supportive.Take Small Steps: If best things for mental health try to do everything at once, best things for mental health will probably get nowhere. Set goals, and then draw that dotted line from point A to B to C. Stop and rest along the way. best things for mental health will thank best things for mental health self for it.Building Better Mental HealthLooking to boost best things for mental health mood, handle best things for mental health emotions better, or build resilience? These six life-changing strategies for improving mental health and well-being can show best things for mental health how.Understanding good mental healthbest things for mental health mental health influences how best things for mental health think, feel, and behave in daily life. It also affects best things for mental health ability to cope with stress, overcome challenges, build relationships, and recover from life’s setbacks and hardships.Strong mental health isn’t just the absence of mental health problems. Being mentally or emotionally healthy is much more than being free of depression, anxiety, or other psychological issues. Rather than the absence of mental illness, mental health refers to the presence of positive characteristics.People who are mentally healthy have:A sense of contentment.A zest for living and the ability to laugh and have fun.The ability to deal with stress and bounce back from adversity.A sense of meaning and purpose, in both their activities and their relationships.The flexibility to learn new skills and adapt to change.A balance between work and play, rest and activity, etc.The ability to build and maintain fulfilling relationships.Self-confidence and high self-esteem.The relationship between resilience and mental healthHaving solid mental health doesn’t mean that best things for mental health never go through bad times or experience emotional problems. We all go through disappointments, loss, and change. And while these are normal parts of life, they can still cause sadness, anxiety, and stress. But just as physically healthy people are better able to bounce back from illness or injury, people with strong mental health are better able to bounce back from adversity, trauma, and stress. This ability is called resilience.People who are emotionally and mentally resilient have the tools for coping with difficult situations and maintaining a positive outlook. They remain focused, flexible, and productive, in bad times as well as good. Their resilience also makes them less afraid of new experiences or an uncertain future. Even when they don’t immediately know how a problem will get resolved, they are hopeful that a solution will eventually be found.Whether best things for mental health looking to cope with a specific mental health problem, handle best things for mental health emotions better, or simply to feel more positive and energetic, there are plenty of ways to take control of best things for mental health mental health—starting today.How to boost best things for mental health mental healthAnyone can suffer from mental or emotional health problems—and over a lifetime most of us will. This year alone, about one in five of us will suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder. Yet, despite how common mental health problems are, many of us make no effort to improve our situation.We ignore the emotional messages that tell us something is wrong and try toughing it out by distracting ourselves or self-medicating with alcohol, drugs, or self-destructive behaviors. We bottle up our problems in the hope that others won’t notice. We hope that our situation will eventually improve on its own. Or we simply give up—telling ourselves this is “just the way we are.”The good news is: best things for mental health don’t have to feel bad. There are practices best things for mental health can adopt to elevate best things for mental health mood, become more resilient, and enjoy life more. But just as it requires effort to build and maintain physical health, so it is with mental health. We have to work harder these days to ensure strong mental health, simply because there are so many ways that life takes a toll on our emotional well-being.Why we often neglect our mental health needsEven in today’s advanced world, many of us are often reluctant—or unable—to address our mental health needs. This can stem from a variety of reasons, including:In some societies, mental and emotional issues are seen as less legitimate than physical issues. They’re seen as a sign of weakness or somehow as being our own fault.Some people mistakenly see mental health problems as something we should know how to “snap out of.” Men, especially, would often rather bottle up their feelings than seek help.In our fast-paced world, we’re obsessed with seeking quick, simple answers to complex problems. We look for connection with others by compulsively checking social media instead of reaching out to people in the real world, for example. Or to boost our mood and ease depression, we’d rather pop a pill rather tackle the underlying issues.Many people think that if they do seek help for mental and emotional problems, the only treatment options available are medication (which comes with unwanted side effects) or therapy (which can be lengthy and expensive). The truth is that, whatever best things for mental health issues, there are steps best things for mental health can take to improve the way best things for mental health feel and experience greater mental and emotional well-being. And best things for mental health can start today!Make social connection a priority—especially face-to-faceNo matter how much time best things for mental health devote to improving best things for mental health mental and emotional health, best things for mental health will still need the company of others to feel and function at best things for mental health best. Humans are social creatures with emotional needs for relationships and positive connections to others. We’re not meant to survive, let alone thrive, in isolation. Our social brains crave companionship—even when experience has made us shy and distrustful of others.Why is face-to-face connection so important?Phone calls and social networks have their place, but nothing can beat the stress-busting, mood-boosting power of quality face-to-face time with other people.The key is to interact with someone who is a “good listener”—someone best things for mental health can regularly talk to in person, who will listen to best things for mental health without their own conceptions of how best things for mental health should think or feel. A good listener will listen to the feelings behind best things for mental health words, and won’t interrupt, judge, or criticize best things for mental health.Reaching out is not a sign of weakness and it won’t make best things for mental health a burden to others. Most people are flattered if best things for mental health trust them enough to confide in them. If best things for mental health don’t feel that best things for mental health have anyone to turn to, there are good ways to build new friendships and improve best things for mental health support network. In the meantime, there is still a great benefit to interacting face-to-face with acquaintances or people best things for mental health encounter during the day, such as neighbors, people in the checkout line or on the bus, or the person serving best things for mental health best things for mental health morning coffee. Make eye contact and exchange a smile, a friendly greeting, or small talk.Tips for connecting to othersCall a friend or loved one now and arrange to meet up. If best things for mental health both lead busy lives, offer to run errands or exercise together. Try to make it a regular get-together.If best things for mental health don’t feel that best things for mental health have anyone to call, reach out to acquaintances. Lots of other people feel just as uncomfortable about making new friends as best things for mental health do—so be the one to break the ice. Reconnect with an old friend, invite a coworker out for lunch, or ask a neighbor to join best things for mental health for coffee.Get out from behind best things for mental health TV or computer screen. Communication is a largely nonverbal experience that requires best things for mental health to have direct contact with other people, so don’t neglect best things for mental health real-world relationships in favor of virtual interaction.Be a joiner. Join networking, social, or special interest groups that meet on a regular basis. These groups offer wonderful opportunities for meeting people with common interests.Don’t be afraid to smile and say hello to strangers best things for mental health cross paths with. Making a connection is beneficial to both of best things for mental health—and best things for mental health never know where it may lead!Staying active is as good for the brain as it is for the bodyThe mind and the body are intrinsically linked. When best things for mental health improve best things for mental health physical health, best things for mental health automatically experience greater mental and emotional well-being. Physical activity also releases endorphins, powerful chemicals that lift best things for mental health mood and provide added energy. Regular exercise or activity can have a major impact on mental and emotional health problems, relieve stress, improve memory, and help best things for mental health to sleep better.But what if I hate to exercise?Well, best things for mental health not alone. Pounding weights in a gym or jogging on a treadmill isn’t everyone’s idea of a great time. But best things for mental health don’t have to be a fitness fanatic to reap the benefits of being more active. Take a walk at lunchtime through a park, walk laps in an air-conditioned mall while window shopping, throw a Frisbee with a dog, dance to best things for mental health favorite music, play activity-based video games with best things for mental health kids, cycle or walk to an appointment rather than drive.best things for mental health don’t have to exercise until best things for mental health soaked in sweat or every muscle aches. Even modest amounts of physical activity can make a big difference to best things for mental health mental and emotional health—and it’s something best things for mental health can engage in right now to boost best things for mental health energy and outlook and help best things for mental health regain a sense of control.Tips for starting an exercise routineAim for 30 minutes of activity on most days. If it’s easier, three 10-minute sessions can be just as effective. Start now by taking a walk or dancing to a favorite song.Try rhythmic exercise that engages both best things for mental health arms and legs, such as walking, running, swimming, weight training, martial arts, or dancing.Add a mindfulness element to best things for mental health workouts. Instead of focusing on best things for mental health thoughts, focus on how best things for mental health body feels as best things for mental health move—how best things for mental health feet hit the ground, for example, the rhythm of best things for mental health breathing, or the feeling of wind on best things for mental health skin.Learn how to keep best things for mental health stress levels in checkStress takes a heavy toll on mental and emotional health, so it’s important to keep it under control. While not all stressors can be avoided, stress management strategies can help best things for mental health brings things back into balance.Talk to a friendly face. Face-to-face social interaction with someone who cares about best things for mental health is the most effective way to calm best things for mental health nervous system and relieve stress. Interacting with another person can quickly put the brakes on damaging stress responses like “fight-or-flight.” It also releases stress-busting hormones, so best things for mental health feel better even if best things for mental health unable to alter the stressful situation itself.Appeal to best things for mental health senses. Does listening to an uplifting song make best things for mental health feel calm? Or smelling ground coffee or a favorite scent? Or maybe squeezing a stress ball works quickly to make best things for mental health feel centered? Everyone responds to sensory input a little differently, so start experimenting now to find what works best for best things for mental health. Once best things for mental health discover how best things for mental health nervous system responds to sensory input, best things for mental health be able to quickly calm best things for mental health self no matter where or when stress hits.Make leisure time a priority. Partake in best things for mental health favorite activities for no reason other than that they make best things for mental health feel good. Go to a funny movie, take a walk on the beach, listen to music, read a good book, or talk to a friend. Doing things just because they are fun is no indulgence. Play is an emotional and mental health necessity.Make time for contemplation and appreciation. Think about the things best things for mental health grateful for. Mediate, pray, enjoy the sunset, or simply take a moment to pay attention to what is good, positive, and beautiful as best things for mental health go about best things for mental health day.Take up a relaxation practice. While sensory input can relieve stress in the moment, relaxation techniques can help reduce best things for mental health overall levels of stress—although they’re likely to take more time to learn effectively. Yoga, mindfulness meditation, deep breathing, or progressive muscle relaxation can put the brakes on stress and bring best things for mental health mind and body back into a state of balance.Eat a brain-healthy diet to support strong mental healthUnless best things for mental health tried to change best things for mental health diet in the past, best things for mental health may not be aware how much of what best things for mental health eat—and don’t eat—affects the way best things for mental health think and feel. An unhealthy diet can take a toll on best things for mental health brain and mood, disrupt best things for mental health sleep, sap best things for mental health energy, and weaken best things for mental health immune system. Conversely, switching to a wholesome diet, low in sugar and rich in healthy fats, can give best things for mental health more energy, improve best things for mental health sleep and mood, and help best things for mental health to look and feel best things for mental health best.People respond slightly differently to certain foods, depending on genetics and other health factors, so experiment with how the food best things for mental health include in—or cut from—best things for mental health diet changes the way best things for mental health feel. The best place to start is by cutting out the “bad fats” that can damage best things for mental health mood and outlook, and replace them with “good fats” that support brain-health.Foods that adversely affect moodCaffeine.Alcohol.Trans fats or anything with “partially hydrogenated” oil.Foods with high levels of chemical preservatives or hormones.Sugary snacks.Refined carbs (such as white rice or white flour).Fried food.Foods that boost moodFatty fish rich in Omega-3s such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, tuna.Nuts such as walnuts, almonds, cashews, peanuts.Avocados.Flaxseed.Beans.Leafy greens such as spinach, kale, Brussel’s sprouts.Fresh fruit such as blueberries.Don’t skimp on sleep—it matters more than best things for mental health thinkIf best things for mental health lead a busy life, cutting back on sleep may seem like a smart move. But when it comes to best things for mental health mental health, getting enough sleep is a necessity, not a luxury. Skipping even a few hours here and there can take a toll on best things for mental health mood, energy, mental sharpness, and ability to handle stress. And over the long-term, chronic sleep loss can wreak havoc on best things for mental health health and outlook.While adults should aim for seven to nine hours of quality sleep each night, it’s often unrealistic to expect sleep to come the moment best things for mental health lay down and close best things for mental health eyes. best things for mental health brain needs time to unwind at the end of the day. That means taking a break from the stimulation of screens—TV, phone, tablet, computer—in the two hours before bedtime, putting aside work, and postponing arguments, worrying, or brainstorming until the next day.Tips for getting better sleepIf anxiety or chronic worrying dominates best things for mental health thoughts at night, there are steps best things for mental health can take to learn how to stop worrying.To wind down, calm the mind, and prepare for sleep, try taking a warm bath, reading by a soft light, listening to soothing music, or practicing a relaxation technique before bed.To help set best things for mental health body’s internal clock and optimize the quality of best things for mental health sleep, stick to a regular sleep-wake schedule, even on weekends.Make sure best things for mental health bedroom is dark, cool, and quiet. Curtains, white noise machines, and fans can help.Find purpose and meaning in lifeEveryone derives meaning and purpose in different ways that involve benefitting others, as well as best things for mental health self. best things for mental health may think of it as a way to feel needed, feel good about best things for mental health self, a purpose that drives best things for mental health on, or simply a reason to get out of bed in the morning. In biological terms, finding meaning and purpose is essential to brain health as it can help generate new cells and create new neural pathways in the brain. It can also strengthen best things for mental health immune system, alleviate pain, relieve stress, and keep best things for mental health motivated to pursue the other steps to improve mental and emotional health. However best things for mental health derive meaning and purpose in life, it’s important to do it every day.What gives best things for mental health meaning and purpose?Engaging work that provides meaning to best things for mental health self and others. Partake in activities that challenge best things for mental health creativity and make best things for mental health feel productive, whether or not best things for mental health get paid for them. Some ideas are gardening, drawing, writing, playing an instrument, or building something in best things for mental health workshop.Relationships. Spending quality time where best things for mental health give of best things for mental health self to people who matter to best things for mental health, whether they’re friends, grand kids, or elderly relatives, can support both best things for mental health health and theirs, while also providing a sense of purpose.Caring for a pet. Yes, pets are a responsibility, but caring for one makes best things for mental health feel needed and loved. There’s no love quite as unconditional as the love a pet can give. Animals can also get best things for mental health out of the house for exercise and expose best things for mental health to new people and places.Volunteering. Just as we’re hard-wired to be social, we’re also hard-wired to give to others. The meaning and purpose derived from helping others or the community can enrich and expand best things for mental health life—and make best things for mental health happier. There’s no limit to the individual and group volunteer opportunities best things for mental health can explore. Schools, churches, nonprofits, and charitable organizations of all sorts depend on volunteers for their survival.Caregiving. Taking care of an aging parent, a handicapped spouse, or a child with a physical or mental illness is an act of kindness, love, and loyalty—and can be as rewarding and meaningful as it is challenging.When to seek professional helpIf best things for mental health made consistent efforts to improve best things for mental health mental and emotional health and still aren’t functioning optimally at home, work, or in best things for mental health relationships, it may be time to seek professional help. Following these self-help steps will still benefit best things for mental health, though. In fact, input from a caring professional can often help motivate us to take better care of ourselves.Will best things for mental health help keep Help Guide free for all?One in four people will struggle with mental health at some point in their lives. And with the coronavirus pandemic and troubled economy, many are in crisis right now. More than ever, people need a trustworthy place to turn to for guidance and hope. That is our mission at Help Guide. Our free online resources ensure that everyone can get the help they need when they need it—no matter what health insurance they have, where they live, or what they can afford. But as a nonprofit that doesn’t run ads or accept corporate sponsorships, we need best things for mental health help. If best things for mental health have already contributed, thank best things for mental health. If best things for mental health haven’t, please consider helping us reach those who need it:Tips for good mental healthWhen we practice good mental health, it is easier to handle stress and other problems. In this sheet, best things for mental health will learn different ways to build good mental health. best things for mental health will learn how to:Take care of best things for mental health bodyPractice healthy thinkingSlow downHave funReach out1. Take care of best things for mental health bodyOur bodies and our minds are connected. When best things for mental health take care of best things for mental health body, best things for mental health also take care of best things for mental health mind.Eat wellFood is our fuel. It gives us important nutrients that help our bodies work. It makes sense that the better we eat, the better we work. Our brains work better, too. Research shows that the food we eat is a big part of mental health. Healthy foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains give us the nutrients to work our best.Here are some tips on taking care of best things for mental health body:Eat regularly, so best things for mental health body has enough fuel to work well all day. Skipping meals can make best things for mental health feel tired or irritable.Watch out for too much caffeine. Caffeine is the part of coffee and black tea that gives best things for mental health energy. It is in other drinks and snacks, too. Caffeine can add to feelings of anxiety. It can also stop best things for mental health from sleeping well.Watch how much sugar best things for mental health eat. Eating sugar gives best things for mental health a quick burst of energy. But when that energy is gone, best things for mental health feel more tired. It can lower best things for mental health mood and make best things for mental health feel irritable.Watch best things for mental health alcohol use. Alcohol just hides problems for a short time. It makes sadness, stress and other feelings harder to deal with later on.ExerciseExercise is good for best things for mental health body. But did best things for mental health know that it is also good for mental health? Here are a few ways exercise can help:It helps us cope with stress.It lowers anxiety.It lifts our mood.It boosts our energy.It helps us feel good about ourselves.It helps us sleep well.best things for mental health do not have to spend a lot of time for these effects, either. Just 30 minutes a day, three or four days a week is enough to see big changes. It does not matter what kind of activity best things for mental health do.Here are some tips for boosting the mental health effects of exercise:Pick something best things for mental health enjoy. Remember, best things for mental health can do any activity that gets best things for mental health moving! If best things for mental health like the activity, best things for mental health are more likely to do it.Focus on how the activity makes best things for mental health feel.Exercise with someone else. best things for mental health will get the benefits of exercise, plus best things for mental health will connect with someone else. This is also good for best things for mental health mental health. best things for mental health are also more likely to keep up with best things for mental health exercise sessions if best things for mental health plan them with someone else.The next time best things for mental health feel sad, worried or stressed, try going for a walk outside. Walking is a fast and easy way to feel better about things in best things for mental health life.If best things for mental health have a health problem, talk to best things for mental health doctor before best things for mental health start a new exercise program.Get enough sleepSleep has a huge effect on mental health. When we get enough sleep, it is easier to cope with stress, handle problems, concentrate, think positively and remember things.The exact amount of sleep best things for mental health need is based on best things for mental health own body. best things for mental health know that best things for mental health are getting enough sleep when best things for mental health do not feel sleepy during the day.It is easy to think that we can get more done if we cut back on sleep. But it is harder to get things done when we do not get enough sleep.Here are some things to try if best things for mental health do not sleep well:Avoid exercising too close to best things for mental health bedtime. Exercise gives best things for mental health energy. But slow, relaxing activities like yoga can help calm best things for mental health down before bed.Avoid big meals, alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine before bed. Caffeine is the part of coffee or black tea that makes best things for mental health feel awake.Make sure best things for mental health room is comfortable for sleeping. Many people find that they sleep best when their room is dark, quiet and cool.Stick to quiet activities just before bed, like reading.Follow a routine. Try to go to bed around the same time every night and wake up around the same time every morning, even on weekends.Only use best things for mental health bedroom for sleeping and sex. Do work or watch TV in a different room.Avoid naps during the day if best things for mental health have a hard time sleeping at night.Avoid sleeping pills. best things for mental health may fall asleep faster, but they do not give best things for mental health good, restful sleep.Most people have sleep problems from time to time. If best things for mental health often have sleep problems, it is best to talk to best things for mental health doctor.2. Practice healthy thinkingGood mental health does not mean that we only ever have happy thoughts. Sad or upsetting things are part of life. Problems are also part of life. Good mental health means looking at the situation for what it really is.Watch for thinking trapsThe way we think about something has a big effect on the way we feel. If we feel like we can handle a problem, we often feel good. If we do not think that we can handle a problem, we often feel bad.Sometimes, we think that something is bad, even when it is not true. These thoughts are sometimes called “thinking traps.” They are traps because they are easy to fall into and can get us stuck and feeling bad.Here are some common thinking traps:Thinking that bad things always happen to best things for mental health. “I wanted to go to the beach, but now it is raining. This always happens to me! Now my day is ruined!”Thinking that something can only be all good or all bad. “I did not do as well as I wanted on that last test. I am not smart enough for this course.”Focusing only on the negative part of a situation. “My team won, but I cannot believe I missed that shot. I must be very bad at soccer. Maybe I should stop playing.”Jumping to conclusions before best things for mental health know what really happened. “My friend did not call me back. She must not like me very much.”best things for mental health can challenge best things for mental health thinking trap by looking at the facts. The next time best things for mental health notice best things for mental health self falling into a thinking trap, ask best things for mental health self questions to find the facts. Here are some questions to ask:Is there any proof to back up this thought?Have I thought about all sides of the situation? Is there anything I missed?Have I been in this position before? What happened then?If my friend was in the same situation, what would I say?Once best things for mental health have looked at the facts, best things for mental health can replace the thinking trap thought with a more balanced thought.Solve problemsWe face problems every day. We can fix some problems easily, but other problems are not as easy to solve. When we do not take action, stress can build up until we do not know what to do next.This is an easy way to tackle problems. The next time best things for mental health are facing a problem, follow these steps:Step 1: Decide what the problem is. Try to be as exact as possible. It is easier to solve a problem when best things for mental health know what needs to be fixed.Step 2: Think of different solutions or end goals. Think of as many as best things for mental health can. Write them all down, even if they seem silly.Step 3: Pick the solution that best things for mental health think will work best.Step 4: Decide what best things for mental health need to do to try best things for mental health solution. This is best things for mental health plan. best things for mental health can break best things for mental health plan into smaller steps if best things for mental health need to.Step 5: Put best things for mental health plan into action. Remember to use best things for mental health balanced thinking skills.Step 6: Look back to see if best things for mental health plan worked. If it did not work, pick a different solution from best things for mental health list in Step 2 and make a new plan. Keep going until best things for mental health find a solution that works.3. Slow downWe all need to take time to slow down and relax. It is a big part of managing stress and enjoying our lives.When we do not take time to slow down, stresses can add up until we feel too overwhelmed to do anything.When we relax, it is easier to see problems and solutions clearly. It is easier to manage difficult feelings , and it is easier to see the good sides of things. It is easier to focus on what is happening now instead of worrying about the past or future.How best things for mental health relax is up to best things for mental health. Yoga, meditation, tai chi and breathing exercises are popular activities. Other people relax by reading, doing art, exercising, spending time in nature or playing with pets. Many community centres or community groups have classes best things for mental health can join. best things for mental health can also learn more online or in books.4. Have fun!Doing things we enjoy is good for our health. It helps us feel refreshed and helps us feel good about ourselves. Then it is easier to cope with stress and other problems. When we feel sad or worried, we often stop doing the little things that make us happy. This makes us feel worse.Make a list of the things best things for mental health can do each day that make best things for mental health happy. Then give best things for mental healthself time for these activities. Use best things for mental health problem-solving skills to find ways to add more of these activities in best things for mental health life. Here is an example. best things for mental health may put “reading funny books” on best things for mental health list, but best things for mental health think that best things for mental health do not have time to read. After doing some problem solving, best things for mental health might start bringing best things for mental health book to work or school to read during best things for mental health lunch break.5. Reach outThe people in our lives are a big part of our own mental health. We help each other out, share the good times, and learn from each other.Connect with othersSocial networks are a big part of our overall mental health. Our social networks are the people in our lives who support us, celebrate our successes and help us deal with problems.There are many different ways we can help each other.Some people are good at dealing with feelings. This can help us feel comforted.Some people are good at helping out, like babysitting or grocery shopping. This can help us manage day-to-day chores.Some people are good at sharing a different point of view. This can help us look at problems more realistically.Some people are good at sharing information. This can help us find better solutions.Most of us have networks of different people. It might include family members, friends, co-workers, classmates, neigh bours and other important people.Here are some tips for building a strong support network:Ask for help. Others cannot help best things for mental health if they do not know what best things for mental health need.Think of new ways to meet people. If best things for mental health enjoy a particular activity, joining a group or class is a good way to meet others with the same interests.Join a support group. This is a good way to find help for a specific problem.Let go of bad relationships. Some people in our networks might not support us. It is hard, but sometimes we need to let go of these people.Help othersHelping others helps us feel good about ourselves. It is also a good way to meet other people and learn new skills. Try asking best things for mental health favourite group or organization if they have volunteer work.Get help when best things for mental health need itTo stay healthy, we need to find help when we start to feel unwell. The same is true for mental health. Mental health problems are easier to care for when they are caught quickly. If best things for mental health are feeling unwell and nothing seems to help, it is important to talk to best things for mental health doctor or counsellor.Discussion and conclusionIn the previous three chapters, we presented our findings from the three interconnected stages of the study: the literature reviews, the mapping exercise and the case study. In this chapter, we synthesise the three sets of findings, using an approach similar to that which we used to integrate the effectiveness and perception reviews in additionally discussing our findings with reference to current research, policy and practice and with due regard to the aims of the study and our research objectives.This chapter summarises the main findings of the report, including new evidence which questions some of the myths and taboos around mental ill-health and work. People with severe mental disorder are too often too far away from the labour market, and need help to find sustainable employment. The majority of people with common mental disorder, however, are employed but struggling in their jobs. Neither are they receiving any treatment nor any supports in the workplace, thus being at high risk of job loss and permanent labour market exclusion. This implies a need for policy to shift away from severe to common mental disorders and subthreshold conditions; away from a focus on inactive people to more focus on those employed; and away from reactive to preventive strategies.