Five Little Triumphs talk by Jen Ronan for Green Ribbon Campaign. Pictured: Jen Ronan at The Stormy Teacup.
In May the National Stigma Reduction Partnership has been rolling out a month-long national green ribbon campaign to get people talking openly about mental health. ABC for Mental Health is an organisation set up to promote a healthy and open attitude towards mental health. ABC for Mental Health has been organising free weekly lunchtime talks in The Hunt Museum. On Wednesday, May 24 from 1 pm to 2 pm Jen Ronan will be speaking about Five Little Triumphs to help people work through their mental illness.
Amanda Clifford from ABC Mental Health reached out to Jen after attending a talk she did alongside singer/songwriter Bressie on mental health and invited her to do a lunchtime talk for the Green Ribbon Campaign. The idea for the talk came from a previous blog post that Jen had written titled “Five Little Triumphs in my Battle for Mental Health” which is a heartfelt piece on the stigma around mental health. The focus of the Five Little Triumphs talk will be a lighthearted and informative look at the ways people suffering from mental illness, such as anxiety and depression, micromanage their day.
Regarding the theme of the event, Jen said, “Anyone who has depression or anxiety will know every hour is torture. Things like brushing your hair, having a shower and doing the laundry, tiny things that people don’t think of; things that are second nature. But when you’re dealing with a mental health issue, everything is a mountain to climb. That’s why you can be so overwhelmed that you may not leave your house for days because you can feel paralysed by how long the process takes from getting up to getting out the door.”
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The Five Little Triumphs talk will discuss things like making your bed and washing your face, as well as highlighting the small everyday tasks that people may not realise are incredibly significant for someone dealing with mental health issues.
Jen is a mental health advocate and a blogger who writes about mental health issues and the new trend for adult colouring books. She is also regularly seen on TV3’s Midday programme. Five Little Triumphs takes place on Wednesday, May 24 at 1 pm in The Hunt Museum. Both people dealing with mental illness and those looking to learn more about it are encouraged to come. It looks to be a fun and informative talk with a lighthearted mood to break the stigma surrounding the topic.
To read Jen Ronan’s blog click here
To read more about events in Limerick click here
