+
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?


Pop Culture

Here’s a paycheck for a McDonald’s worker. And here's my jaw dropping to the floor.

So we've all heard the numbers, but what does that mean in reality? Here's one year's wages — yes, *full-time* wages. Woo.

Making a little over 10,000 for a yearly salary.


I've written tons of things about minimum wage, backed up by fact-checkers and economists and scholarly studies. All of them point to raising the minimum wage as a solution to lifting people out of poverty and getting folks off of public assistance. It's slowly happening, and there's much more to be done.

But when it comes right down to it, where the rubber meets the road is what it means for everyday workers who have to live with those wages. I honestly don't know how they do it.

Keep ReadingShow less
Joy

5-star Scottish resort offers whimsical afternoon tea experience with 'naughty sheep'

Cameron House's Woolly Wellness retreat includes tea in the garden with adorably rude guests.

Cameron House/Naughty Sheep

Cameron House's Woolly Wellness retreat includes a unique sheep encounter.

Remember when "goat yoga" was all the rage? And then "cow cuddling" and "turkey cuddling" made everyone's bucket lists?

Now we can add "nuzzling with naughty sheep" to the mix, but with a fancy Scottish twist.

Less than an hour from Glasgow, Scotland, the Cameron House resort sits on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, looking as if it were plucked straight out of a fairy tale. Sprawling green grounds, gorgeous lake views and a four-story castled mansion greet guests as their "home away from home" (only better), and a perusal of the reviews show guests raving about the 5-star resort's elegance, beauty and exceptional service.

I mean, just look at this place:

drone view of cameron house grounds and lakeCameron House sit on Lake Lochmond in Scotland.Cameron House


Keep ReadingShow less

A pitbull stares at the window, looking for the mailman.


Dogs are naturally driven by a sense of purpose and a need for belonging, which are all part of their instinctual pack behavior. When a dog has a job to do, it taps into its needs for structure, purpose, and the feeling of contributing to its pack, which in a domestic setting translates to its human family.

But let’s be honest: In a traditional domestic setting, dogs have fewer chores they can do as they would on a farm or as part of a rescue unit. A doggy mom in Vancouver Island, Canada had fun with her dog’s purposeful uselessness by sharing the 5 “chores” her pitbull-Lab mix does around the house.

Keep ReadingShow less
@caitlin.the.realtor/TikTok, used with permission

Wait, so 90's fashion is in, but 90's hair is out?

Every era has its own version of what’s attractive. And very rarely does that aesthetic hold power with the following generation. In fact, it often becomes the opposite of cool.

Just think of Elvis. He might have been a universal sex symbol for a time, but it also wasn’t long before his pompadour became passé. Same goes for Paul Newman’s rugged manliness, David Cassidy’s babyface, Tom Selleck’s mustache. Indeed, for everything a season.

Which brings us to the 90s. The age of beach blonde surfer boys (real surfing skills not required, but a plus). Of flannel, lots of flannel, and super chiseled bodies. Let’s not forget this was the dawning of the term “metrosexual,” and also the time period that brought us that Calvin Klein ad with Mark Wahlburg.

How exactly would these guys measure up with the Gen Z kids today?

Keep ReadingShow less
popular

A wild Eurasian crow befriended a toddler and won't leave his side

Crows are so much smarter than we think.

A Eurasian crow.

A family from Denmark has created a touching video montage documenting their unique friendship with a wild Eurasian crow. This crow, affectionately named Russell, has become an honorary member of their household, forming special bonds with each family member, including the pets.

However, the crow's relationship with their son, 2-year-old Otto, is truly extraordinary. “They could spend hours just playing,” Otto’s mother, Laerke Luna, says in a video shared by The Dodo. "When Otto is outside, he will never leave Otto’s side.”

Russell, the free-spirited crow, ventures away from the family's home from time to time, but never for too long. He always comes back and announces his return by tapping on the door, swooping in to lounge on the sofa, or awaiting Otto's return from school atop their roof.

“When we are inside, he will sit inside the window because he wants Otto to go outside with him,” Laerke said.

The family’s relationship with Russell didn’t come out of nowhere. When Russell was a young bird, he had health problems so the family took him and nursed the bird back to health. Eventually, they witnessed his first attempts to fly.

Recently, Russell became friends with another family member, their second child, Hedwig. Although he does get a little annoyed with the bird’s frequent attempts to nab his pacifier.

Even though it’s rare for humans to strike up such a close bond with a crow, according to research, it’s not that surprising. Audubon says that crows are “some of the smartest animals in the world” with an intelligence “on par with chimpanzees.” They are also very social and family-oriented, so no wonder Russell loves Otto and his family.

Crow Named Russell Waits For His Favorite Kid To Get Home From School | The Dodo


Learning

Why you shouldn't throw your dishwasher pod into the bottom of your dishwasher

Dishwashers actually use the dirty water to know how to wash your dishes.

Photos by cottonbro studio and PhotoMIX Ltd. via Canva

Why your detergent shouldn't go in the bottom of the dishwasher

There always seem to be something going on with the pods and powders you're supposed to use in the dishwasher to clean your dishes. Either the pods don't dissolve completely or the powder gets all goopy and hard, never really fully dispensing into the dishwasher.

The inconsistency in product dispensing can leave you wondering if the dishes are even getting cleaned, causing some to toss the detergent pod into the bottom of the dishwasher. It would seem that placing the detergent at the bottom would allow for it to actually reach your dirty dishes. But Melissa Pateras, a domestic expert, explains that doing it that way isn't doing what you think it's doing.

Pateras actually breaks down exactly how dishwashers work to clean your dishes while explaining why putting the detergent on the bottom is ineffective.

Keep ReadingShow less