Author: Jesse Rowe

Members of the Outreach and Education Division within the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Network’s Youth Advisory Board, kicked off their Music Playlist Series with a Self-Care Playlist. The members came together to create a music playlist to listen to whether you are spending an entire day full of self-care practices or simply interested in hearing some new music throughout your daily routine. Self-care is not linear and everyone has their own way they integrate self-help practices into their lives.

“We hope that this music playlist brings you joy and allows you to distress as you do things that ground you. Please feel free to share this playlist with family and friends! We hope you love it just as much as we do.”

Listen to the playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2gzaLgX7ChFe1j5iw99FN5?si=ef513f14385a4423

The Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Network (LASPN) Youth Advisory Board (YAB) is an inclusive group of 23 youth, ranging in age from 16 years old to 24, who advocate for improving mental health and well-being and its related social determinants of health for youth countywide.

The youth have received intensive trainings and are supported by vetted adult mentors drawn from the LASPN – mental health professionals, advocates, survivors, providers, researchers, and representatives from various agencies and organizations across Los Angeles County. These adult allies provide support and mentorship to the Youth Advisory Board and pathways to support when dealing with the sensitive topic of mental health and suicide.

Three youth leaders emerged and have been instrumental in founding and leading the LASPN Youth Advisory Board with a special focus on three pillars: Outreach & Engagement, Arts & Social Media and Advocacy & Communication. The LASPN Youth Advisory Board’s official inception was in 2020 but due to the pandemic, actual establishment of the YAB was in 2021.

The youth have developed several videos and participated in engagement activities and events to raise awareness and uplift the crucial role young people play in suicide prevention. Additionally, YAB members have participated in community activities, and as youth content advisors on a curriculum guide for Creative Wellbeing, a healing-informed and mental health promotion approach developed by the Department of Arts & Culture, Department of Mental Health, Office of Child Protection and the Arts for Healing & Justice Network. LASPN youth and mentors will also be taking part in the Department of Arts & Culture’s Healing Centered Engagement (HCE) Initiative created in collaboration with Dr. Shawn Ginwright and the Flourish Agenda to explore the role of arts in HCE and devise an HCE Arts Framework for LA County. 

There will be an opportunity to participate in the Youth Advisory Board in the 2^nd cohort. Be on the lookout for information on how to apply for the LASPN Youth Advisory Board starting mid-March. We will have the application information on this website but will also be pushing out the information on our social media platforms and email distribution list. There will be an application and interview process.

Most of us experience any number of emotions from day to day. Experiencing negative emotions, especially when under stress, is part of the human experience; however, if left unprocessed or unacknowledged, they can cause harm physically and emotionally. Prolonged crises, such as the ones we have experienced due to COVID, and any form of significant life transition can lead to long-term and toxic stress. This type of stress can be especially amplified among people who were already experiencing significant life challenges, chronic health or mental health conditions, and disabilities. 

Research has found that breathing practices are effective at reducing stress, balancing our energy and emotions, and helping us process some of the more challenging feelings that can arise. But incorporating self-care, such as breathing, into our busy lives is easier said than done and may also be particularly challenging for people who have experienced trauma.

Being gentle with ourselves by setting boundaries and limits that support our mental health may be the most important self-care act of all. As author Brianna Wiest says: “Self-care should not be something we resort to because we are so absolutely exhausted that we need some reprieve from our own relentless internal pressure. True self-care is not salt baths and chocolate cake, it is making the choice to build a life you don’t need to regularly escape from.”

But changing the expectations of ourselves and others takes time and practice. Starting with small actions can be a good way to begin. For example, try out one of the breathing exercises below or mindful breathing, which has been known to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.

Belly Breathing:

It may sound strange, but many people forget how to breathe properly, using their chest and shoulders to breathe, resulting in short and shallow breaths which can increase stress and anxiety! When you breathe, your belly should expand, involving your diaphragm, a large muscle in your abdomen. This type of breathing is known as diaphragmatic, or belly breathing and can lower stress levels, reduce blood pressure, lower our heart rate, and help us relax. Belly Breathing is at the center of the practice of meditation which is known to help manage symptoms of depression, anxiety, and sleeplessness.

Download, share and watch the 30-second Belly Breathing Animation, which can be found here: https://www.suicideispreventable.org/social-media.php

Color Breathing

Visualize a color that represents how you want to feel, imagine inhaling that color in. Visualize a color that represents what you want to let go of, imagine exhaling that color out.

4-7-8 Breathing Technique

Otherwise known as “relaxing breath”, 4-7-8 breathing, is a simple breathing exercise that can be done anywhere, anytime to aid in stress reduction, grounding, and even sleep. Inhale for a count of 7, hold for a county of 4, and then exhale for a county of 8!  Download and share the 4-7-8 Breathing Card and Social Media post.

Square Breathing

One of the most common breathing exercises is referred to as square breathing which is the act of breathing in the form of a square! Inhale 2…3…4… hold 2…3…4!  Download and share the Square Breathing Card and Social Media post.