By Sally Tippett Rains
May 2025 is Mental Health Awareness Month. Did you know that just being a Cardinals fan can actually help your mental health and well being? According to the U.S. Surgeon General: “Connection plays a critical role in individual, community, and societal health.”
The advisory calls attention to the role “connection” can play in our life and offers a framework for how we can all contribute to improving social connection.
The advisory points out that “living in isolation reduces our chances of survival and social isolation increases the risk for premature mortality by 29%. Sometimes just joining a group gives you the feeling of belonging, participating and connecting.”
If you sign up for our free Cardinals newsletter, you will get weekly updates on the Cardinals plus interesting items to keep your mind moving. We often have fun recipes, motivational stories or inspirational messages along with the latest breaking news of the Cardinals. During the pandemic we stepped up in that area and even did a daily positive podcast, “Weathering the Storms of Life with the Rains.” The point is when you feel accepted in a community you might have a more positive outlook.
We are not saying a newsletter can have an effect on a person with severe mental illness, but for seasonal depression or situational depression, sometimes just a bit of fun information can lift our spirits.
We care about our readers and the topic of mental illness and well-being is close to our hearts. Just as many reading this, we have experienced loved ones with mental illness and know the pain of losing someone to suicide. We want to urge everyone reading this to be sure you are checking in on your own mental health and well-being. Be sure you are doing things to add joy to your life and feed your spirit every day. We have a “Choose Happy” button on STLSportsPage.com.
That may seem trivial. How can doing something fun or something that gives me joy help improve my mental health? If we seek out things that give us joy we increase the chances that we will find it in our every day life.
So whether your joy comes from cheering on the Cardinals and you go to games or join like-minded groups or you prefer the beauty of a real Cardinal and you enjoy scoping out different types of birds and you join “birding” groups– finding a connection with others goes a long way in adding happiness to your life. It can even extend your life.
Daphne M. Evans, is a Certified Coach of the Science of Happiness / Positive thinking
“Part of what Buettner discovered was not just the fact that ‘they eat good food,'” she said, “But also the importance of a sense of belonging to a community in achieving longevity and stability in one’s life.”
“If you can share the good times and the bad with people who are in your ‘tribe,’ you have support from those who are intricately woven into your sphere, and you can receive support, love, and feedback that ensures connectivity to your outside world.”
So whether you cheer on a Cardinals win or curse a loss, if you are doing it with others it’s better for you.
Evans, who is also a Licensed Multi-State Financial Services Professional is not speaking directly about baseball or other sports, but in general about what can help make people live a happier life.
“Life is not to be lived inside your cocoon,” she says. “Life is to be lived outside in the open, where you can give and receive within a community that accepts you, respects you, and allows you to bloom exactly where you are planted within that community.”
From their website: “If you are experiencing feelings of loneliness, sadness or just being overwhelmed, you are not alone. You can text MLB to 741741 to reach a volunteer Crisis Counselor at Crisis Text Line, or you can connect via web chat at crisistextline.org.”
Two years ago we did an article on “Sports Fan Depression” which is a real thing. In 2023 when the Cardinals were struggling, (they were terrible that year) many fans were struggling along with them, but as the team gets better and the games are more fun to watch, fans are feeling more light-hearted. Even when fans are upset about an outcome or a season, if they are part of a group it can often help. They can express their feelings together.
Sports fans are only one example of being part of something to help your overall mental health and well-being. Those who volunteer can often find a purpose because when they are in a group helping others, their own spirits are often lifted.
The organization NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) works hard to advocate about mental Illness.
On their website they say: “In times when you feel lost, volunteering can give you a sense of purpose. Dedicating time to a cause can give you new direction and allow you to find meaning in something unexpected. It can also take your mind off your own troubles while keeping you mentally stimulated.”
Once we get our mind off our own problems we can live our lives in a happier and more productive way.
“The crux of so much depression these days is because people are constantly trying to compare themselves to other people,” says Daphne Evans. “What they don’t realize is that those people are comparing themselves as well.”
Social media can contribute to our feelings of “I’m not ok” or “I’m not enough.” Johns Hopkins Hospital reports many children and teens today spend less time with their families and friends, and in traditional communities than past generations, in favor of being online and using social media to connect.
“Online social interactions may not be as rewarding,” according to Johns Hopkins. “Social media may also make some feel excluded or like they’re missing out when seeing others engage in activities and social interactions.”
“Social media is full of those who are spending money to impress other people who don’t even know nor care about them,” Evans says. “If only we would stop to look in the mirror, and APPRECIATE the person we see, mental health in this country would improve drastically. Many don’t realize that self love is key–no one else is going to love you if you don’t love yourself.
“Another thing is to not take yourself so seriously. People don’t want to make mistakes or come off ‘goofy’ sometimes, however, it’s OK.”
NAMI says they are the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
They offer this information: “Trying to tell the difference between what expected behaviors are and what might be the signs of a mental illness isn’t always easy. There’s no easy test that can let someone know if there is mental illness or if actions and thoughts might be typical behaviors of a person or the result of a physical illness.”
This is why it’s important to try to stay ahead of your mental health. If you feel like you are getting “down in the dumps” do everything you can to get out. Don’t pay attention to things you see as insults or your perceived faults.
“We don’t have to always be perfect and worry about someone saying something harsh because we aren’t,” says Evans. “Laugh more, laugh at yourself. This is key to enjoying your life and not getting boxed into the depression corner.”
One of the best ways to pull yourself out of a depression is to have a positive attitude. Our words are powerful so choose carefully the ones you want yourself to hear.
“If you feel and tell yourself that ‘it’s so hard,’ it will be,” she says. “If you tell yourself ‘I can’t do this,’ you won’t. Something I have said for years now, is ‘The sun is always shining, you just have to get above the clouds.’ If you don’t keep pushing through the storm, it really won’t pass and you will continue to get pelted with rain.”
Evans feels so strongly about helping others achieve positivity in her life she started, The Happy Lady Speaks, LLC and has a Facebook account of the same name.
“Too many times too many people give up just before they have won the race and that saddens me. I really try to help people see that there is no winning if you quit. And there is no quitting if you intend to win.”
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If you can’t pull yourself out of “the blues”– here’s where to get health:
Many times we can do things to change our attitude3s, but if you find it is something more serious, don’t be afraid to reach out if you or someone you know needs help. Learning all you can about mental health is an important first step.
Reach out to your health insurance, primary care doctor or state/county mental health authority for more resources.
Contact the NAMI HelpLine to find out what services and supports are available in your community.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
To support NAMI: CLICK HERE.
Author
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Sally Tippett Rains started her sports media career at KMOX Radio Sports (writing/producing for Bob Costas, Jack Buck, Bill Wilkerson) in the late 1970′s, early ’80′s then switched to book writing and charity work while raising their children.
She also wrote "Choose Happy; Find Contentment in Any Situation," which comes in Black & White or Color versions.
