APRIL MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGE

*According to CAHM, ​​one in five Canadians experience a mental illness in any given year. CAHM also states that by the time Canadians reach the age of forty, one in two have (or have had) a mental illness. 

*Mental illness and substance use disorders are a leading cause of disability in Canada and people with mental illness and substance use disorders are more likely to die prematurely than the general population.

*Mental illness can cut ten to twenty years from a person's life expectancy.

*In a 2019 working survey of Canadians, respondents were nearly three times less likely to want to disclose a mental illness (like depression) than a physical illness (like cancer).

*All these stats were found @ https://www.camh.ca/en/driving-change/the-crisis-is-real/mental-health-statistics

For these exact reasons, and many many many more - this upcoming month here at Dunnebells we will be hosting a MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGE. Now, more than ever, we are putting our mental health at the top of our to-do lists and we want nothing more than to encourage others to do so, too. During the month of April, we want to not only cater to the physical well-being of our clients and our community, but to their mental well-being as well. The work that we plan to do and the people we plan to help by doing this work will carry on over in months, and years, to come.

Because, when it comes down to it - without our mental health, we don't really have all that much going for us (in our opinion). It is just as important to take care of the things you’re thinking, feeling, and suffering from as it is to take care of your muscular, skeletal, digestive, and endocrine systems. The stats I provided above thanks to CAHM are sickening (in an awfully sad way) and it’s not to point fingers or anything, but I feel like we all have a little bit of responsibility - for ourselves. If we can take small baby steps to take care of ourselves mentally, collectively maybe we can all make a difference (please note that while I believe we have a responsibility to choose to better ourselves in all sorts of ways, I don’t think that we are the reasons for our mental health struggles. Mental health disorders happen TO people, not because of people, and if you’re struggling know that I do not believe that it is your fault - at all). It shouldn’t be a common fear to talk about our mental health struggles - but it is. It shouldn’t be a fear to admit that we have a problem that we can’t solve - but it is. It shouldn’t be a fear to stand up for ourselves - but it is. For many of us, we are living a life that we wish was a little bit different, a little more peaceful and a lot more understood.



We wish there was shelter available when we feel caught up in the storm. We wish there was a safe space to be ourselves.

We want there to be other people going before us admitting that they too, don’t have it all figured out and that collectively we can all get better, together.

Unfortunately, there is so much hurt in our world. Yes, there is good, too - but there is unimaginable hurt lingering beind closed doors of your house, your friend’s houses, and your family’s houses. We, here at Dunnebells, want to be a safe space for EVERYONE to exist as they are, right now - flaws and all.




However you want to show up, we want you to know that you’re welcome.

We want to be a safe place for you to exist.

Even though we are all very different and come from different places with different traditions and different upbringings, we are all the same in the sense that we are valid, valued, and deserving of respect. Being that we come from different places and different stories, it’s not uncommon for us to want and need different things. What I need, when it comes to my mental health, I can guarantee, is way different from what you need. What you need, I can almost guarantee, is way different from what you’re teenage daughter needs. We are all very different, and our needs are all very different. But it is my belief that we share one common need - the need of wanting to feel welcome, listened to, supported, and respected.

It all starts with believing that you’re worthy and giving yourself the space to be worthy.

We all need to take care of ourselves. One small step at a time - again, again and again. Just like we need to show up for others (obviously), we need to remember to show up for ourselves. Sometimes that looks like putting on a brave face and saying YES to things you don’t reallllllly want to do, and sometimes it looks like putting on a brave face and saying NO to things you may want to do, but that maybe are outside your healthy boundaries. 

La de dah - I get that this all sounds so cliche - but honestly, when was the last time you really sat in silence, with yourself and your thoughts and totally embraced who you are? Not the you that you think you should be, but the you that you are? 

Are you really as confident as you say you are or are you possibly too afraid to stick your hand up and say that you are having difficulties believing in yourself?

Have you been trained over the last forty years to believe that being tough is the only way to prove yourself, so much so that you don’t let yourself feel?

Do you think mental health is reserved for the broken souls who just can’t figure it out, or are you aware that likely half of the people you associate with on a regular basis are struggling (right now) with something that you may not understand?

Does hiding behind humor, sarcasm, and petty jokes feel comfortable to you, or have you learned that doing these things are in fact coping mechanisms that you’ve learned over the years?

If you resonated with any of the above things - you’re not alone. It's not to say that you’re suffering from a mental health disorder or anything, but it may mean that you need to spend some quality (and dedicated time) working on things that you’ve maybe never thought of.

Now, obviously, I'm not a professional. Please don’t assume that I think I am - I am not, and I am totally okay with that. However, I’ll be the first to admit - I have struggled big-time with mental health issues for a handful of years (maybe a few handfuls, let's be honest), and only in the last year or so have I actually felt comfortable openly talking about it. 

I’ve mentioned it to people I trust in the past, or maybe I’ve just not denied it if it ever came up, but the transition into owning it and working on it, and understanding it in the last two years has been absolutely game-changing for me. Talking about it and owning it has made a world of difference.

GAME-CHANGING. 

This April, Dunnebells wants to help YOU change the game for yourself. 

We’re introducing, to our members and our community, our very own MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGE that we will participate in alongside our women.

One step at a time, we want to shine a light on the parts of ourselves that are amazing. We want to help others see themselves in a new light. Hopefully, this April (and in months and years to follow) we will allow women to feel safe enough to bring their true selves to the table. There are so many layers to all of us and we think its important that all of those layers are tended to. Whether we’re having a good day, a crap day, or a great day - we want to show up and we encourage you to show up, too.

Our MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGE will feature (without giving away too much) small attainable tasks that can be done whenever they fit into your schedule. Sometimes, as humans, we think that making changes to something requires a lot of time and a lot of energy, but its been proven (I bet) that a lot can be achieved in small bursts of time, over time. 

We’re not going to ask anyone to do anything consistently for twelve days, or to drop everything they’re currently doing to start doing something else.

We might just simply suggest that you should go for a walk (now that the weather is looking more inviting) in the morning and then having your coffee at a slow pace. Theres nothing wrong with waking up five minutes before you have to leave the house (or jump on that ZOOM meeting) but sometimes, just sometimes, it does FEEL nice to breathe fresh air first thing in the morning and then take your time doing something for yourself.

We might suggest making a simple phone call. To whom, won't matter all that much. The simple act of picking up the phone and having an actual conversation with someone that you love will do the trick. All too often we are communicating with people without ever having to speak, hear voices, or see faces. Technology has made it so easy for us to have relationships with people that we don’t ever actually talk to. These relationships can be great (we have them with some of you) but there's something really rewarding about a conversation (just because) with someone where you can both hear each other's voices. Maybe you call your grandmother or your uncle. You might call your best friend from college to see how they’re doing, or maybe it's your neighbor that you had years ago and have fallen out of contact with that you call. Who you call won't matter really, just simply connecting in a different way will do all the wonders.

We might suggest identifying who your ENERGY VAMPIRES are (https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/how-spot-deal-energy-vampire-ncna896251) and without shame or blame, coming up with healthy ways to introduce boundaries into your relationship - not because they are bad people, but because YOU are the most important person in your life.

Our MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGE has been designed with busy people in mind. No one is sitting around these days just wondering what to do with all their free time - hoping that their trainer develops a mental health challenge. That's simply not the case. We’re all busy, in some way or another, and that's why we’re excited to launch this challenge.

It can be done from anywhere, by anyone who wants to put in the time (a handful of minutes here, a handful there). With a focus on mental health and wellbeing, we believe that by the end of April - your problems won’t all be solved, but you will have a new sense of clarity and belief that you too, can do hard things.



You’ll also develop a whole new sense of belonging because guess what? You’re not going at it alone. We, everyone at Dunnebells, and potentially hundreds of other women, will be making these small changes with you. We will share our wins and we will share our struggles.



You are not the weakest link. There is no weakest link. And, there is no goodbye. Instead, hello. Hello to a new version of you that you should be very excited to meet.

THERE ARE PRIZES!

Not for being first.

Or tallest.

Or bravest.

Or better than anyone.

There are prizes for showing up.

For trying.

For committing to yourself.

For telling your story.

For helping other women win.

For doing really freakin’ hard things sometimes.

Want to join in on the fun? Feel free to DM us on Instagram @dunnebells_ or send an email to hello@dunnebells.com. 

Can’t make it happen by April 1 - don’t worry - we have lots of fun FREE stuff coming up in our FREE FACEBOOK GROUP - just click here, and you can be a part of it all.

Of course, if you’re looking for a trainer who not only cares about your physical health but also your mental health - even if I’m biased, I’ll say it anyways - look no further! Dunnebells is a 5+ company who have helped hundreds of women just like you accomplish a ton of hard things that would inspire you immensely. We are currently taking a few more women into our April 8-WEEK-PROGRAM and spots are booking up fast for May!!!



Head on over to www.dunnebells.com/8-week-program to find out more and to secure your spot!



If you’re the person who likes to try it before you buy it - don’t worry, we understand. CLICK HERE to get your hands on our FREE 7-Day-Trial with our CEO Lucy Dunne, and get inside our exclusive app to see what the hype is all about.



We’re so proud of you.