Sometimes, the first step toward better mental health is simply taking one.<\/p>\n
That was the message Sunday morning as community members gathered at Mount Trashmore for the sixth annual Goddess Walk, an event hosted by the Hampton Roads nonprofit I Am Goddess in recognition of Minority Mental Health Awareness Month.<\/p>\n
The free event encouraged people to get outside, connect and prioritize their mental well-being through physical activity and conversation.<\/p>\n
Founder Dazhuna Reed launched I Am Goddess in 2019 to provide mental health education, mentorship and leadership opportunities for young minorities.<\/p>\n
“July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. This is our sixth annual Goddess Walk,” Reed said. “A part of this walk is just getting everybody outside in nature so that we can clear our minds.”<\/p>\n
For Reed, the event is rooted in personal experience.<\/p>\n
“This is one of the ways that I was able to help when I was going through mental conditions myself,” she said. “Being outside with nature, being in a community of like-minded people and grounding ourselves is one of the major ways that we can break the stigma.”<\/p>\n
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, racial and ethnic minority communities often experience poorer mental health outcomes due to factors including barriers to quality care, stigma surrounding mental illness, discrimination and limited access to resources.<\/p>\n
Kristin Arian, a registered nurse and longtime speaker at the event, said something as simple as taking a walk together can positively impact both physical and mental health.<\/p>\n
“Really walking, just getting those endorphins flowing and what I like to call happy hormones, allows us to get together and release some of that tension,” Arian said.<\/p>\n
She said community events like the Goddess Walk create safe spaces where people can support one another while reducing the stigma around seeking help.<\/p>\n
“Mental health does not know a color, doesn’t know an income, doesn’t know a status,” Arian said. “Mental health is something that affects all of us.”<\/p>\n