Group members: Mayven Barretto, Nathan Derecho, Cayden Kujala, Jeneley Mendoza, David Padilla, Emily Paez, Jin Tang
(Click on the image, above, to move through the slides.)
Mental health is a growing concern in our community, affecting every aspect of our daily lives. Many individuals struggle with anxiety, depression, and stress, often in silence due to the lingering stigma revolving around mental health. According to Eastern Washington University, 25% of Washington state residents report experiencing seasonal depression (Winter Blues, 2022). Seasonal Affective Disorder is a serious type of depression that has many symptoms which parallel the symptoms of major depression (Winter Blues, 2022). The question is, how can we combat the rise of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) during the winter months in King County?
Mental health is a serious and growing problem in our community. According to an article about Seasonal Affective Disorder from Eastern Washington University, there is a connection between winter weather and its associated lack of sunlight and Seasonal Affective Disorder, a type of depression. Although, according to the article, the “Winter Blues” (a more common experience related to winter weather and feelings of sadness) often are short-lived and resolve on their own, SAD is a serious issue and a form of depression with serious implications. Lack of sunlight can interrupt circadian rhythms and also cause increased secretion of melatonin, which leads to feelings of drowsiness or sleepiness. During this season, approximately 10% of Washington residents experience this disorder; however, although the numbers seem fairly small, it is a present issue with real symptoms (“Winter Blues,” 2022). According to an article from the University of Washington about SAD, Washingtonians are often aware of these symptoms which are common to other types of depression as well. Symptoms include: increased irritability and sadness, increased amounts of sleep, decreased interest in activities such as socializing, and increased feelings of apathy (“Coping with,” n.d.). This issue matters to us as a group, and we chose it because we understand that many college students and residents of our state suffer from this type of depression and from other types. We know that mental health is a clear and present issue, and we want to help those in our area suffering from symptoms of SAD.
The solution criteria for the Small Wins group project is that it must be the achievement of a goal or task consistent with the definition of a group from our text. That is, the project includes three or more persons interacting who both influence and are influenced by one another. (Rothwell, 2019, p. 24). The Small Wins project must include a community service component, with our group determining what is both our “community” and who is being “served.” However, the project must have an actionable activity that is conducted by all the members.
Further, the project must be accomplished within the provided timeline of four weeks, along with required documentation and support as described in the assignment.
Lastly, the project needs to be consistent with Green River College’s guidelines for the safety and security of students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To combat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), our group brainstormed several ways to spread positivity and encouragement. We considered painting sidewalk murals with uplifting messages to brighten public spaces and making and gifting bracelets to provide individuals with a personal source of motivation. Hanging mental health posters could help raise awareness, while public speeches could educate people on mental health topics. Raising funds for mental health organizations was another idea aimed to make a broader impact. We also considered painting rocks with positive messages to easily distribute throughout the community.
We chose the idea of painting rocks with positive messages and handing them out to people as well as leaving them where they will be discovered in public spaces since it is easy, quick and fun. We can start right away with just rocks, paint and some time. It allowed for all of us to express our own creativity and contribute to the project in our own way. This idea is such a great way to share positive vibes with individuals who might really need them. It is easy for everyone in the group to do and we can get it completed within 4 weeks. Along with this option fitting what all of us wanted to do, the other options had other factors that led to us choosing painting rocks over it. Painting sidewalk murals would usually require the permission of the neighborhood so this was heavily dependent on if we could find people that would allow us to paint their sidewalk. This was also more “temporary” as the rain and other factors could wash away our paint when we’re finished. Hanging posters and raising funds wouldn’t allow us to express our creativity in this project which is something we wanted to do. Public speeches wouldn’t give each group member a unique thing to do, and speeches wouldn’t leave that big of an impact as we’re not giving out professional level speeches.
For our “Small Wins” project (painting rocks to address mental health issues, specifically Seasonal Affective Disorder), we decided that one group member, Jeneley, would go to Redondo Beach to select rocks. She selected enough rocks for each group member to be able to paint approximately three. The following day, February 28, she brought them to the student union at 9 A.M., where we all met and spent three hours painting fun images and inspirational messages on them with materials (paint and brushes) provided by Jin, David, and Nathan. When we were finished, we walked around campus distributing rocks to students and faculty members while also providing them with descriptions of our overall purpose for the project. We placed additional rocks around campus for students and faculty members to find in the future. Jeneley, in addition to painting her rocks, filmed short video clips throughout the entire process to document our project implementation for the multimedia celebration.
Our “Small wins” project successfully brought awareness to seasonal depression, while spreading positivity throughout our campus. By painting and distributing rocks with uplifting messages, our goal was to provide meaningful moments of encouragement to those who may be struggling with mental health challenges, especially during the winter months. This activity reinforced the idea that small acts of kindness can go a long way even when things seem tough.
Coping with the Winter Blues. (n.d.). Husky Health & Well-Being. https://wellbeing.uw.edu/mental-health/mental-health-resources/depression/coping-with-the-winter-blues/
Rothwell, Dan J. In Mixed Company : Communicating in Small Groups and Teams. 11th ed., New York, N.Y., Oxford University Press, 2019, p. 24.
Winter Blues / Seasonal Affective Disorder – Eastern Washington University. (n.d.). https://www.ewu.edu/stories/winter-blues-seasonal-affective-disorder/