+
upworthy
Family

A woman tests out mental health advice she finds on the internet. All of it.

Self-help lists are great. Seeing them in action? Even better.

There's no shortage of self-help lists out there on the internet (and even this website). What's interesting, however, is that many of us don't actually get to see the suggestions in action.

So New Zealand woman Beth Humphrey came up with something a little different — the Great Mental Health Experiment.

All GIFs from My Beth Friend/YouTube.


Here's how it works: Every week, Beth takes a tip designed to reduce stress, take care of yourself, and just generally exist, and she puts it to the test.

And the best part? She's capturing it all on camera.

"I think people love to learn new things, but they want to learn in a way that is fun, personal, and easy to digest," she said. "I think the reason people are so drawn to these kinds of videos is that they are short, interesting, and to the point."

When it comes to mental health, your mileage may vary — and Beth understands that.

There's no one-size-fits-all fix for things like depression, anxiety, and other forms of mental illness. For some, the answers may lie in pharmaceuticals; for others, diet or exercise. That's part of what makes Beth's series so interesting: It's her trying to figure out what works for her.

"All the reactions, feelings, and reflections are all me! I'm not trying to sell these tips, but rather, testing them and giving my opinion," she says. "My experience will be different to someone else's, and that's cool!"

For example, the first video in the series follows Beth as she sees how something like baking affects her mood.

Other videos show her doing distress tolerance exercises...

...getting more sleep ...


...and experimenting a bit with animal therapy — all with varying levels of success (and that's kind of the point).


These types of open discussions help fight some of the stigma that goes along with addressing mental health issues and being willing to seek help.

And when it comes to her videos, Beth hopes to open up that gateway of conversation between friends, family, and medical professionals.

"I believe that my videos normalize mental health and create a healthy way to have conversation[s], bring awareness and teach new skills for those who may be struggling. Even if that’s just simply, 'Hey, I’m here, I know what you are going through, and here’s some things that might help.'"

It's an exercise in building empathy.

"So many people still believe that asking for help means you are soft or weak," she says. "And my response to that is: Be vulnerable! Talking about your feelings is not something to be ashamed of."


Still, that stigma exists. In 1996, a survey conducted by the National Mental Health Association found that 54% of people "think of depression as a sign of personal or emotional weakness." Years later, survey numbers are still pretty (no pun intended) depressing.

While Beth's Great Mental Health Experiment rolls on (check out her channel every Tuesday for a new episode), you can start your very own version.

No, maybe you won't gather a crew and document this on video (you're certainly welcome to, though!), but you can take some tips and put them into action.

For example, here's a great list of four tips for calming down. Here's a list of 13 things to do if someone you love lives with depression. Here's one with six top-notch tips for getting yourself out of a creative rut. And here's a list of three ways to become a more confident person.

Will everything on any of those lists work for you? Probably not. Still, if you find one thing that helps make your life less stressful and more enjoyable, isn't it all worth it?



Time travel back to 1905.

Back in 1905, a book called "The Apples of New York" was published by the New York State Department of Agriculture. It featured hundreds of apple varieties of all shapes, colors, and sizes, including Thomas Jefferson's personal favorite, the Esopus Spitzenburg.






Keep ReadingShow less

Joey Grundl, Milwaukee pizza guy.

Joey Grundl, a pizza delivery driver for a Domino's Pizza in Waldo, Wisconsin, is being hailed as a hero for noticing a kidnapped woman's subtle cry for help.

The delivery man was sent to a woman's house to deliver a pie when her ex-boyfriend, Dean Hoffman, opened the door. Grundl looked over his shoulder and saw a middle-aged woman with a black eye standing behind Hoffman. She appeared to be mouthing the words: "Call the police."

Keep ReadingShow less
Photo by Katerina Holmes|Canva

Mom in tears after another parent calls about daughter's lunch


People say having children is like having your heart walk around outside of your body. You send them off to school, practices or playdates and hope that the world treats them kindly because when they hurt, you hurt. Inevitably there will be times when your child's feelings are hurt so you do your best to prepare for that day.

But what prepares you for when the child you love so much winds up accidentally healing your inner child. A mom on TikTok, who goes by Soogia posted a video explaining a phone call she received from a parent in her daughter's classroom. The mom called to inform Soogia that their kids had been sharing lunch with each other.

Soogia wasn't prepared for what came next. The classmate's mother informed her that her son loves the food Soogia's daughter brings to school and wanted to learn how to cook it too.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pop Culture

Listen to this organ in Croatia that uses the sea to make hauntingly beautiful music

It's a 230-foot-long organ that turns the rhythm of the waves into actual music.


In 2005, a Croatian architect designed a 230-foot-long organ that turns the rhythm of the waves into actual music.

Nope, not nonsensical bellows or chaotic tones. Real, actual, music.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modern Families

A comic from The Oatmeal illustrates how we're missing the mark on happiness.

I do the things that are meaningful to me, even if they don't make me "happy."

By Matthew Inman/The Oatmeal. Used with permission.

How to Be Perfectly Happy


Matthew Inman is the Eisner Award-winning author of The Oatmeal. He's published six books, including New York Times Best-Sellers such as "How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You"and "The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances."He enjoys running marathons, writing comics, and eating cake.

You can read more of Matthew's comics here.

Keep ReadingShow less
Health

Sweeping UN study finds that 9 out of 10 people worldwide are biased against women

In other words, 9 out of 10 people worldwide—both men and women—are biased against women in vital areas that impact the world in major ways.

Photo by Joe Gardner on Unsplash

As the U.S. ramps into an all-too-familiar presidential election cycle where the only viable candidates left on the ballot are men, the UN announces a study that may—at least partially—explain why.

The Gender Social Norms Index released yesterday by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) offers a look at gender equality as measured by people's personal gender bias. The data, which was collected from 75 countries covering 81% of the world's population, found that 91% of men and 86% of women show at least one clear bias against women in the areas of politics, economics, education, and physical integrity.

In other words, 9 out of 10 people worldwide—both men and women—are biased against women in vital areas that impact the world in major ways. Splendid.

Keep ReadingShow less