(C) U.S. State Dept This story was originally published by U.S. State Dept and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Embassy Muscat kicks off Mental Health Awareness Month [1] [] Date: 2023-08-08 By Patricia Dos Santos-Archie Embassy Muscat held a kick-off event, May 16, in response to President Joe Biden’s proclamation of May as Mental Health Awareness Month. The event highlighted resources available through the Department of State and interagency for those seeking to improve their mental health. The end goal of the event was to destigmatize the act of seeking mental health help. The event commenced with powerful virtual messages from Under Secretary of State for Management John Bass and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. Embassy Muscat community members engaged in stress-relief activities provided by post’s Fitness and Recreation Committee, shared their mental health tips on white boards organized by post’s Federal Women’s Program and management section, and received free blood pressure screenings from the embassy’s health unit. The afternoon also featured virtual mental health TED Talks, a yoga session led by a community member, and refreshments provided by post’s employee association. This event was a unique opportunity for post’s community to gain awareness of mental health, while receiving valuable tips and resources available to them. Community members are now able to scan QR codes posted throughout the embassy to receive information on mental health resources. Embassy Muscat is motivated to maintain this momentum and plans to introduce more events to support mental well-being, recognizing that mental health is essential to overall health. Patricia Dos Santos-Archie is an expanded professional associate program member in the management section at Embassy Muscat. [END] --- [1] Url: https://statemag.state.gov/2023/08/0823itn03/ Published and (C) by U.S. State Dept Content appears here under this condition or license: Public Domain. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/usstate/