Apt with the celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month this October, Forest Lake Memorial Parks commenced the second leg of its webinar series dubbed as ‘Creating Better Days’ aimed to help the public cope and adapt to the challenging changes brought about by the current situation the world is in.
Inspired by the stories told by the participants of Forest Lake’s grief therapy program for their clients which started in 2018 in Laguna, Forest Lake initially planned to expand the ‘Creating Better Days’ initiative to a nationwide scope, but just like how other industries are impacted by the global health crisis, it decided to take the advocacy to the online platform.
“Through these counseling sessions, we began to witness beautiful stories of transformation. We started to witness how the program was leading our clients back towards healthy, meaningful, and productive lives after their loss,” said Mawi de Ocampo, Forest Lake Philippines' Corporate Communications Head.
The latest session of the said webinar series, ‘The PlanTitaProject,’ highlighted how gardening, an activity most people consider their new-found hobby amid the quarantine period, as well as looking after what you eat are important in maintaining stable well-being and mental health.
Apart from gardening tips and insights particularly on how people can start growing their own edible garden at their homes, Olive Medina, a certified ‘plantita’ and the owner of Lorenzo’s Sanctuary shared how gardening can be an effective way to ease stress.
“We have not heard of anyone who is in gardening or farming that did not find stress relief from it. Based on our own experience, being in touch with the land is very grounding. In addition since plants require attention, you develop focus and the ability to live in the present moment,” Medina said.
For the part of health and nutrition, meanwhile, another guest speaker of the webinar, licensed nutritionist-dietitian Samantha Morales underscored how important it is to eat healthily and properly especially during these times of unrest. She encouraged the public to consume food rich in nutrients like Vitamin D, fiber, omega-3 fats, probiotics, and folic acid, as these are proven to positively impact mental health and boost the immunity system.
"So to be able to strengthen immunity and at the same time feel happier, take care of your gut and brain by eating whole, nutrient-dense foods," Morales said.
Forest Lake is set to host another session of webinars in the coming months to continue spreading awareness about well-being and mental health. Stay updated for further announcements via its official Facebook page (@ForestLakeMemorialParks) and Instagram account (@forestlakememorialparks). For more information, visit www.forestlakememorialparks.com. Watch the recap of Creating Better Days "The Plantita Project" webinar on Manila Bulletin Lifestyle Facebook page.