An Inspiration To Many
This is Jordan. You may recognize her if you've browsed on this website or visited any of FN's social media platforms. That is because Jordan was kind enough to model many of FN's Spring styles this year. Isn't she just beautiful? Well, Jordan is way more than a pretty face and I thought I'd take the opportunity with another "internet holiday" coming up, 'National Read A Book Day' (one that I can get behind!), to highlight Jordan and her organization called Listen, Lucy.
Jordan Corcoran started Listen, Lucy to create a "kinder world where people are no longer shamed into silence or afraid to talk about what they are going through." You see, the number of folks of ALL ages suffering from some form of anxiety and depression is staggering, especially now more than ever. Jordan herself has experience with both Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder so she is genuinely passionate about mental health through her own lived experiences. Listen, Lucy aims to achieve their goal through speaking engagements, assemblies, workshops and the now 3 books that Jordan has published.
Little Lucy And The Little Butterflies
Jordan recently released her very first children's book, Little Lucy And The Little Butterflies. This book is unique in that it gives parents of children 8 years and younger a tool to help open up a conversation about anxiety with their children. In our society, this often is an uncomfortable topic to discuss. In a recent interview with WPXI, Jordan explains, "From the very beginning we talk to our kids about physical health, about eating healthy, about exercising, playing sports, gym class, health class and mental health should be right in there but it sounds like a really intimidating topic.” The book highlights a little girl named Lucy who is struggling with her "butterflies" before and during school. Lucy gets some help from her mom who teaches her a breathing technique and they also involve her teacher who is able to provide other suggestions and support. I personally love the idea of starting the conversation at a young age and this book is a perfect resource to help parents of any child, even those not showing early signs of anxiety. The more we talk about it, the less taboo it will become for our children and their peers!
Other Great Reads
As I mentioned, Little Lucy is Jordan's third book. Her first book, Listen, Lucy contains anonymous, beautiful and sometimes heart wrenching stories that help the reader see clearly that we really are not all alone in this. I highly recommend this book for a true glimpse into the real stories of real people and what they endure each day.
Jordan's second book, Write It Out, is a journal with 40 prompts to help the reader transfer thoughts on to paper so they may free their mind and speak their truth.
To purchase any of her books and for further info on Listen, Lucy please visit her website http://www.listenlucy.org.
So this Sunday, September 6th, take a moment to curl up with a good book (I prefer the real paper kind but any form will do) and practice a little self care. Yes, I believe reading can be self care! Taking some time in a quiet room to yourself and exploring a great piece of literature can be more therapeutic than you can imagine. Drop us a comment letting us know what some of your favorite books are! We'd especially like to hear about mental health awareness recommendations and self improvement in general as it is so important in our current climate. Be well, everyone!
xoxo,
Beth
Some other highly rated books to check out and celebrate Read A Book Day:
13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do by Amy Morin
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie
How Will You Measure Your Life by Clayton M. Christensen
Finding Your Element by Ken Robinson
Other important resources:
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is a great resource for anyone struggling with mental illness and you can search for your local NAMI by state.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255
For teens and mental health, check out OK2TALK, a community where teens and young adults are encouraged to share their stories and also Teen Mental Health, who creates and delivers internationally recognized research and clinical programs on adolescent mental health through collaboration with a variety of stakeholders.