Health
Role reversal
“It was so weak it couldn’t pick up its tail,” Elbroch said. “It was dragging through the mud and the water that was out in this field.” A healthy cougar doesn’t drag its tail in the mud. “Meat and food sources have been tested with all negative results,” Itle said in an email. Researchers in […]
“Meat and food sources have been tested with all negative results,” Itle said in an email.
Researchers in the state are racing to learn more about the virus before the next outbreak hits. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating the Harstine Island outbreak. Possible infection sources include the cats’ food or bird droppings.
There’s still a lot Elbroch and others don’t know, including whether mammals can transfer the form of the virus now circulating on the Washington landscape to each other.
For now, scientists say the risk to orcas appears very low, since, unlike seals, they don’t come ashore, where bird poop accumulates.
A week after that, 20 big cats, including five African servals, four bobcats, four cougars, and two lynxes died from avian flu at the Wild Felid Advocacy Center, a nonprofit sanctuary for displaced wild cats on Harstine Island in South Puget Sound.
RELATED: Bird flu has killed 20 big cats including cougars at a U.S. wildlife sanctuary
The researchers also found 16 dead harbor seals on Rat Island, in the first detection of the highly pathogenic flu in seals on the West Coast of North America.
“Lo and behold, it’s avian flu that killed him, too,” Elbroch said.
“We found two dead cougars. There could be a lot more out there,” Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission member Melanie Rowland said of the secretive big cats.
Heat kills avian flu, but raw food can transmit the disease.
That’s why Mark Elbroch, a big cat expert with the nonprofit Panthera, was alarmed when a game warden called him to see a young male mountain lion, emaciated, on the Olympic Peninsula. It was December, and the big cat was in a cow pasture near Sequim.
To further help cats avoid the deadly flu, experts also recommend avoiding giving them raw food, just as they recommend that people not drink raw milk.
Soon after, another young cougar died.
That raised concerns for other mammals, including the region’s endangered orcas.
Wildlife officials decided to put the cougar, a young male, out of its misery. Elbroch said that was the right decision: “A week later or so, we get the results, and it was avian flu.”
Bird flu has been around a long time, with the first U.S. outbreak hitting East Coast live-bird markets in 1924. It has become a devastating problem for America’s industrial-scale chicken farms in just the past few years.
Scientists think it had not taken a major toll on American wildlife until recently.
But on those big chicken farms, the virus mutated and evolved into something much deadlier for poultry and wildlife alike.
“The risk to wildlife has dramatically increased,” said Katie Haman, a veterinarian with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
A falcon in Whatcom County became the United States’ first confirmed wild bird to succumb to the highly pathogenic avian influenza in 2012, and major outbreaks hit the state’s wild birds in 2022.
In the summer of 2023, Haman walked down a rocky beach on Rat Island, a half-mile-long wisp of sand and shrubs near Port Townsend and the northeast tip of the Olympic Peninsula. It was teeming with birds.
She was seeing if the major colony of Caspian terns there was infected with avian influenza.
Caspian terns are the world’s biggest tern, easy to spot from a distance by their black caps and almost comically large red bills. They aggressively defend their breeding colonies, like the one on Rat Island, sometimes attacking people who wander too close.
RELATED: Bird flu continues to spread in Washington state. What to know about the virus
Rat Island is closed to the public during breeding season to prevent such hostile encounters.But these feisty feathered friends had no defense against a recent invader. The highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu tore through the colony.“What we found was a tremendous number of dead birds and sick birds,” Haman said. “It was devastating, to be honest.”To study the massive outbreak, and protect the health of visitors to adjacent Fort Flagler State Park, she and her team collected carcasses.“We were bagging them up in industrial-size waste bags and carrying them off the island by Zodiac,” Haman said. “It was many, many trips back and forth with the Zodiac piled full of garbage bags of carcasses.”They tallied 1,101 dead Caspian tern adults and 520 dead chicks.
In a study published in December, the researchers reported that avian flu had killed more than half the colony’s terns – or one-eighth of all Caspian terns on the West Coast – in a matter of weeks.
Elbroch guessed the cat probably hadn’t eaten in about a month. It was standing in the field in daylight – cougars are normally stealthy and seldom spotted.Gaydos said drawing attention to bird flu, as he and other experts do, is hard.RELATED: First bird flu death reported in the U.S., according to the CDCHere’s what we do know:“So long as there’s no really large active outbreak in the Salish Sea, the [orcas’] risk of exposure is really minimal,” Haman said.“Now, in other places, Peru, it got into sea lions, and it went from one sea lion to the next to the next, and it just killed thousands of them,” Gaydos said.Gaydos said the virus did not spread from mammal to mammal.The scientists believe terns arriving from a colony near the mouth of the Columbia River – where workers have been protecting threatened salmon by making the fish-eating terns nest elsewhere – brought the deadly virus with them.This flu had mutated enough to cause a major outbreak where it hadn’t before.RELATED: Bird flu: The challenges the Trump administration will face
The H5N1 flu has killed thousands of wild geese and ducks in Washington, as well as smaller numbers of eagles, hawks, falcons, owls, ducks, geese, swans, crows, ravens, sparrows, gulls, pelicans, cranes, and shorebirds, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.Mammals that have fallen to the avian flu in the Northwest include raccoons, bobcats, coyotes, mice, skunks, and foxes.Wildlife diseases are hard to fight directly. Though an avian flu vaccine exists and has been used on extremely rare California condors, there’s no feasible way to vaccinate or treat large numbers of wild animals.Helping wildlife against other threats they face, like habitat loss, pollution, and predation by introduced species, can boost their odds of survival when disease strikes.“There are other things that we can do to make species more resilient, right? We can increase their habitat quality,” Haman said.Cougar populations in Washington are generally stable, though the estimated 200 isolated cougars of the Olympic Peninsula face risks from their lack of genetic diversity.
Gaydos said one of the best actions to help wildlife is to keep domestic cats indoors.“Your cats are always better off to be inside, right? Cats kill a lot of birds. They could definitely get the virus as well.”RELATED: Bird flu Q&A: What to know to help protect yourself and your pets
“These terns that were resting in places where the seals were resting, they gave the seals the virus,” said Joe Gaydos, a wildlife veterinarian with the nonprofit SeaDoc Society on San Juan Island.“It’s now in our wildlife populations. It’s not just being carried here. It plays out, then it disappears, and then it’s reinvigorated with the next migration of birds,” Elbroch said.Scientists and volunteers with the Olympic Cougar Project said they have the opportunity now to study bird flu in wild animals – to hopefully prevent it from spreading to people.
Health
Formula One Driver Yuki Tsunoda Joins Neuro Gum to Lock In at 200 MPH
LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Formula One driver and motorsport rising star, Yuki Tsunoda, has teamed up with Neuro Gum Inc., the leader in functional gum and mints. Tsunoda joins an elite group of competitors, leaders, and creatives who use Neuro to fuel peak performance while prioritizing brain health. Currently competing in the Miami Grand Prix, 24-year-old Tsunoda […]
LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Formula One driver and motorsport rising star, Yuki Tsunoda, has teamed up with Neuro Gum Inc., the leader in functional gum and mints. Tsunoda joins an elite group of competitors, leaders, and creatives who use Neuro to fuel peak performance while prioritizing brain health.
Currently competing in the Miami Grand Prix, 24-year-old Tsunoda is accustomed to a taxing travel and training schedule. Vocal about the pressures of professional motorsports, this season, he is investing more in his mental health in order to perform at the highest level. The ability to maintain focus and alertness while minimizing stress and anxiety is critical for these athletes who train and perform under intense physical demands that often require split-second decisions and tremendous stamina.
“I’m really excited to join the team at Neuro. It’s a unique and innovative product that can easily fit into my daily routine and helps me perform at my best. With 24 races around the world, staying sharp and focused during every session is essential, and using Neuro plays a strong part in this. I also love that the brand reflects Japanese heritage, with both Kent and Ryan having roots in Japan – that connection makes it even more meaningful to be part of the team,” said Tsunoda.
The partnership kicks off at the start of Asian & Pacific American Heritage Month (AAPI). Japan-born Tsunoda and Neuro founders Ryan Chen and Kent Yoshimura found a deeper connection in a shared ethos and culture.
“At Neuro, we’ve always admired those who exemplify excellence, resilience, and community spirit – qualities that Yuki Tsunoda embodies on and off the track,” said Ryan Chen, Founder of Neuro Gum. “Sharing a common mindset to perform your best and win every day, with the shared heritage of rich Japanese values, has made this partnership deeply meaningful to all of us. We’re honored to be a part of Yuki’s journey, and excited to share more of this story with the world going forward.”
Neuro offers a range of functional gum and mints designed to support cognitive well-being. Neuro’s Memory & Focus Gum combines American Ginseng (Cereboost®), L-theanine, and B-vitamins to improve working memory, sharpen focus, support stress management, and balance mood without sugar or the accompanying crash. Crafted with science-backed ingredients to support various aspects of brain health and productivity.
Tsunoda is among a growing roster of top performers across music, art, sports, health, and wellness who trust and choose Neuro to enhance their cognition, mood, and performance, including Steve Aoki, Justin “J.Flo” Flores, and Kanak Jha. The partnership underscores Neuro’s mission to help talented people cognitively unlock and realize their full potential, and alongside the folks performing at the top of their game, inspire focus worldwide.
To learn more about Neuro and to stay informed on all that’s to come from its partnership with Tsunoda, visit http://neurogum.com and NeuroGum on Instagram.
About Neuro
Founded in 2015 by co-founders Kent Yoshimura and Ryan Chen on a dive trip in Catalina, the two college friends were looking for a more sustainable way to be more productive each day. Neuro is revolutionizing the gum and mint category by using innovative, science-backed formulas to support memory, calm, and sleep. Made with a patented cold-compression technology, Neuro’s gum and mints maintain optimal absorption and bioavailability while using the most sustainable, high-quality ingredients. The fastest-growing brand on TikTok in 2024, Neuro fuels people all around the globe to live their best lives. For more information, visit neurogum.com.
Health
Miami Heat's Kevin Love Discusses Launch Of Athlete Mental Health Program
Miami Heat veteran Kevin Love continues to use his voice away from the court. His organization, the Kevin Love Fund, announced the release of the Athlete Mental Health Program. The program is dedicated to developing safe environments and conducting activities to fuel better mental health for athletes. It features mental health professionals, sports psychologists, and […]
Miami Heat veteran Kevin Love continues to use his voice away from the court.
His organization, the Kevin Love Fund, announced the release of the Athlete Mental Health Program. The program is dedicated to developing safe environments and conducting activities to fuel better mental health for athletes. It features mental health professionals, sports psychologists, and former athletes in a collaborative effort to improve mental awareness in the sports world.
Love’s Fund describes the program as an “evidence-based curriculum created to help athletes explore their identities beyond sport and strengthen their mental and emotional well-being.”
Love expressed his personal journey that fuels his passion for this ongoing movement. He sat down with Miami Heat On SI to discuss the program.
“I’ve spoken a lot in the past about my identity and who I am being so tied to sports, and so much of this is about that identity development,” Love said. “It’s helping athletes explore who they are outside of the sport, and helping them stay present and balanced.”
He discussed the importance of athletes exploring their identities and value outside of their athletic products.
“Being able to have that understanding that we are more than the sport that we play is incredibly important,” Love said. “I think has allowed me to empathize with others who might feel the same.”
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Jayden Armant is a graduate of the Howard University School of Communications and a contributor to Miami Heat on SI. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.
Health
The Human Behind the Athlete
I answered the phone to the sound of the outdoors—a calm but welcoming voice on the other line. “The Pacific Northwest grass is different than in Miami,” NBA star Kevin Love said, speaking from his parents’ home days after the Miami Heat lost to the Cavaliers in Game 1 of their playoff series—a game Kevin […]
I answered the phone to the sound of the outdoors—a calm but welcoming voice on the other line. “The Pacific Northwest grass is different than in Miami,” NBA star Kevin Love said, speaking from his parents’ home days after the Miami Heat lost to the Cavaliers in Game 1 of their playoff series—a game Kevin sat out for personal reasons.
I asked him to paint a picture of the human behind the Kevin Love Fund (KLF)’s newly announced Athlete Mental Health Program, a project poised to impact more lives than his NBA career ever could. Kevin described himself bundled in a hoodie and sweatpants despite the Oregon sun. Shoes and socks off, he laughed. These weren’t his usual interview questions.
The Kevin Love Fund Story
I told Kevin I wanted to focus on the stories behind the KLF and Athlete Mental Health Program’s creation—the moments that led him here. While his story’s been shared before, he returned to themes of unpacking expectations and trauma.
“I felt like I had to hide. I had to go into myself and try to compartmentalize. I asked myself, am I going to be exposed? Are people going to find things out about me that I’m not ready to tell?”
In March 2018, Kevin published a first-person essay—Everyone Is Going Through Something—recounting his panic attack and mental health journey. The response was overwhelming. Readers opened up, sharing their own struggles. That moment revealed something bigger at stake.
Inspired, Kevin founded KLF, a nonprofit built on the belief that education is most powerful when it models vulnerability. Healing, he believes, begins when people are empowered to find identity beyond sport.
KLF now transforms how we understand and talk about mental health—especially in athletics. Through storytelling, education, and evidence-based tools, KLF helps athletes and communities navigate both the high-pressure world of sport and the often-overlooked transition beyond it.
The Athlete Mental Health Program Story
On May 1, 2025, the KLF launches a free, evidence-based mental health program for athletes to foster identity beyond sport. The Athlete Mental Health Program includes lessons on identity development, tools for performance anxiety and stress, and creating conversations around mental and emotional well-being in sports. Built with input from sport psychologists, educators, and former athletes, it equips coaches and broader sports communities to support the whole person—not just the competitor.
The KLF Athlete Mental Health Program is grounded in over a decade of research on reciprocal vulnerability—the idea that when adults model emotional openness, youth are more likely to engage in meaningful mental health conversations (Dutro, 2009; 2011; 2019; Foster, 2022).
The Athlete Mental Health Program is now freely available to educators, coaches, trainers, and anyone supporting student-athletes. For more information or to access the curriculum, visit: https://kevinlovefund.org/
A Story About Success
When I asked Kevin to share a story that reflects the Fund’s success, he hesitated, deferring to his publicist for the “numbers.” But then he smiled.
He recalled the 2018 article: “If I could help even one child managing the same expectations I had at 13 or 14, it would be worth it.” KLF continues to honor that vision—ensuring no athlete feels alone in their mental health struggles the way he once did.
The publicist later shared the numbers: KLF’s SEL curriculum has reached over 130,000 students and 1,900 educators across 1,200+ schools and programs in 32 states and 19 countries.
A Story About Regret
When I asked Kevin to share a story about regret, he didn’t flinch.
“There are things I’ve said or done that I’d take back,” he said. But more often, regret stemmed from what he didn’t do.
He recalled a teacher who once urged him to take a different path. Years later, he wrote that teacher a letter—acknowledging the truth in their advice.
“My regret is that I didn’t act sooner to help myself heal. Whether because I was young, shaped by a hypermasculine culture, or raised by a father born in 1949 who didn’t know another way. Vulnerability wasn’t modeled—it was avoided.”
He reflected on the generational silence around emotion. “I wish I’d been comfortable enough in my skin to realize vulnerability could be a superpower.”
A Story About Being on the Right Path
Kevin said he knew he was on the right path once his story was accepted—celebrated, even.
He paused on the word “celebrated,” aware of its weight. “I’m a product of sharing my story—just like DeMar DeRozan was. It’s healthy to celebrate people who take a chance for the greater good.”
One moment sealed it. At games, kids started holding signs—not about basketball, but mental health. Kevin asked security to bring those families to him. “I’d ask, How did you get here? Why did you make the sign?” And the stories he heard—stories of resilience and shared pain—shifted something in him.
“That’s when I knew this was bigger than basketball. It changed the trajectory of my life.”
An Untold Story
“This whole process—expressing some, not all (yet), of my mental health struggles—has made me more comfortable in my own skin,” Kevin said.
He told a lesser-known story from his early days with his now-wife. His social anxiety was so severe, he couldn’t go out—not even to dinner. “My wife can tell you—when we first started dating, I couldn’t go to a restaurant.”
It wasn’t just discomfort. It was agoraphobia—fear of public embarrassment or collapse. “At any moment, I could fall apart disproportionately to the situation.”
His world shrank: gym, then home—places he could control. But over time, he did the work.
“I’m flawed. I’m still working on it. I’m not a finished project. But I’m more settled now. I’m human. Just a guy—not just an athlete.”
That acceptance, he said, lets him engage in life in ways that once felt out of reach.
A Story (Almost) Told Too Late
I didn’t ask what he’d tell his 13-year-old self—he offered it anyway.
“Nothing haunts us like the things we don’t say. I wish I’d spoken my truth sooner. I let things get to a place that felt life-threatening.”
Silence nearly cost him everything. But breaking it? It opened doors—for himself and others. “Speaking up helped me see red flags before spiraling. Vulnerability isn’t weakness—it’s often the first step to saving a life.”
The Final Story
At the start of the interview, I told Kevin I wanted to reveal the human behind the KLF Athlete Mental Health Fund. I wanted to move beyond the headlines and game highlights. And I did.
But what lingered most wasn’t just the curriculum, or the program reach, or the quotes.
It was the image of Kevin barefoot in his parents’ Oregon yard—finding peace. Not as an NBA champion. Not as a mental health advocate. Just a guy who’s still doing the work, showing up, and reminding the world:
“Athletics can be a defining part of life—but it should not define your entire identity.”
Shortly after the interview, Kevin’s beloved father, Stan Love, passed away at the age of 76. May he rest in peace.
Health
Bailey Student
One of the most storied athletic locations at UConn is about to begin a brand-new era. Starting this spring, Guyer Gymnasium on Hillside Avenue will be fully overhauled, along with along with renovation of smaller spaces in the connecting Hugh S. Greer Field House and Wolff-Zackin Natatorium. Together, they will be known as the Bailey […]
One of the most storied athletic locations at UConn is about to begin a brand-new era.
Starting this spring, Guyer Gymnasium on Hillside Avenue will be fully overhauled, along with along with renovation of smaller spaces in the connecting Hugh S. Greer Field House and Wolff-Zackin Natatorium. Together, they will be known as the Bailey Student-Athlete Success Center, named in honor of Trisha Bailey ’99 (CLAS), whose lead gift is among the largest from any UConn graduate.
The project was kicked off with a groundbreaking ceremony on April 23 featuring Bailey, student athletes, coaches, Board of Trustees Chairman Dan Toscano, UConn President Radenka Maric, Director of Athletics David Benedict, and others.
“Congratulations, coaches. Congratulations, students. Congratulations, alumni,” said Maric. “Congratulations to our staff and everybody who supports our athletics and our university. This is the day that you waited for, for a long time.”
The project will bring athletics, research, academic support, sports medicine, and other programs together in one facility to build upon each other in support of the student success journey, one of the mainstays of UConn’s Strategic Plan. If all goes as scheduled, the new center will open in Spring 2027.
“The Bailey Student-Athlete Success Center will transform the college experience for young men and women who wear the Husky uniform,” said David Benedict, director of athletics.
Bailey, a former track athlete at UConn, founded Bailey’s Medical Equipment and Supplies after her time in Storrs. She quoted her grandmother at the ceremony: “’Dream so big that not even you can believe that these dreams can come true,’” said Bailey. “What does that mean? It means that when you dream, you need to go beyond what the dream looks like.”
Also on April 23, UConn announced a transformative $15 million commitment from longtime supporters Denis and Britta Nayden that will establish The Nayden Center for Academic Excellence within the Bailey Student-Athlete Success Center. At the core of this transformative project, the 12,000 square foot academic center will become the home for holistic development, academic accomplishment, and well-being for every student-athlete at UConn. This comprehensive space will facilitate learning, testing, meeting, tutoring, and all academic activities.
The gymnasium will be renovated to house UConn’s Student-Athlete Success Program (SASP), which supports student-athletes with tutoring, study spaces, post-graduation career or academic planning, and other academic services.
It will also house offices, support spaces, locker rooms, team meeting areas, and other spaces for women’s field hockey, women’s rowing, women’s tennis, women’s swimming & diving, women’s cross country, and men’s and women’s track & field.
“Thanks to Trisha Bailey’s anchor donation, the vision of a student-athlete success center took hold, and became real,” said Nayden ’76 (BUS) ’77 MBA. “I’ve seen the drawings, and I have no doubt that the new facility will be state of the art, beautiful and impressive. But what attracted us, and what was really impressive, is everything that would occur inside.”
Other speakers included former field hockey coach Nancy Stevens, men’s tennis coach Glenn Marshall, and student athletes Chioma Okafor ’26 (BUS, ENG) and Travis Roux ’25 (BUS).
The construction will turn the field house into a LEED-certified building and add an estimated 50 to 60 years of active use to the complex. The improvements help UConn take another step in its Sustainability Action Plan and will help UConn reach carbon neutrality by 2030.
New space will be created for the UConn Department of Kinesiology, strength and conditioning rooms, rehabilitation and recovery areas and hydrotherapy and biomedical analysis.
The field house, named for longtime men’s basketball coach and athletic director Hugh Greer, opened in 1954 and was the home of the men’s and women’s basketball teams until Gampel Pavilion opened in 1990.
“We want everyone to achieve excellence. This will be a learning center, a financial literacy center, a personal development center, a mental health center, a tutoring center, a nutrition center,” said Nayden. “It will be a social center. It will be a hub of life.”
Health
Mental Health Awareness Month
Our always-on, digitally driven society has turned our devices into both lifelines and sources of tension. As May spotlights Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s a perfect time to address a growing challenge of our time: the overwhelming presence of technology in our daily lives. The statistics paint a concerning picture: we unlock our smartphones approximately […]
Our always-on, digitally driven society has turned our devices into both lifelines and sources of tension. As May spotlights Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s a perfect time to address a growing challenge of our time: the overwhelming presence of technology in our daily lives.
The statistics paint a concerning picture: we unlock our smartphones approximately 150 times a day, and workers switch between different apps and websites nearly 1,200 times a day. This constant digital juggling is taking a serious toll on our well-being and productivity.
Here are five evidence-based strategies, curated by InboxArmy, to help you manage digital overload and reclaim your focus and peace of mind.
Photo by Alexander Shatov on Unsplash
1. Schedule Focused Deep Work Sessions
According to research, 60.6% of people are unable to do just 1-2 hours of deep work without distraction. Even brief interruptions of 4.4 seconds can triple the error rate on your main task, and it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to fully refocus after being distracted.
Block out dedicated distraction-free periods in your calendar for deep work. During these sessions, put your phone in another room, close any unnecessary browser tabs, and let your colleagues know you’re unavailable. Research shows that even the mere presence of a phone can lower your cognitive capacity, so creating physical distance from your devices during focused work can significantly boost productivity.
2. Implement a Notification Detox
People deal with an average of 63.5 notifications per day. Receiving a notification, even without checking it, can severely disrupt concentration.
Take control of your notification settings by disabling non-essential alerts, batch-processing emails at designated times, and using “priority only” modes for truly urgent communications. When 73.2% of workers report feeling overwhelmed by constant interruptions, reducing digital noise can significantly lower stress, uplift your mental health, and improve focus.
3. Create Technology-Free Zones and Times
Digital habits deny our brains important downtime, reducing our capacity for deep thinking. With 59% of smartphone users checking social media within 5 minutes of bedtime and 40% checking their phones within 5 minutes of waking up, many of us never truly disconnect.
Establish clear boundaries with your devices by designating certain rooms, especially bedrooms, as device-free zones. Implement a digital sunset 1-2 hours before bedtime and create screen-free meal times. The benefits can be substantial; a previous study reported that 93.6% of participants who tried sleeping without their phones would consider continuing the practice due to improved sleep quality.
4. Practice Single-Tasking
People spend approximately 59 minutes per day looking for information trapped within tools and applications, and 45% say that context switching makes them less productive. Taking a break to check your phone during problem-solving can make you 19% slower and 22% less effective at the task.
Embrace single-tasking by working on one task at a time, grouping similar tasks together, and closing all unrelated applications when working on a specific task. People often struggle to fully focus on a single task or person, but intentionally practicing single-tasking can strengthen their attention muscles and reduce the stress of divided attention.
5. Schedule Regular Digital Detox Periods
Heavy internet users are five times more likely to suffer from depression, and constant digital connectivity has been linked to increased anxiety levels.
Incorporate regular digital detox periods into your routine, starting with small, manageable periods, such as a screen-free morning, and gradually extending them to longer periods. Plan offline activities you enjoy and connect face-to-face with friends and family (67% of people from the UK actually prefer in-person meetings). Over three-quarters of American families committed to taking a digital detox after lockdown, recognising the benefits of periodically disconnecting.
Take the Digital-Detox Challenge
This Mental Health Awareness Month, pick one of these five strategies to implement today. Share your experience with #DigitalDetoxChallenge and inspire others to join you. Small, consistent changes can transform your relationship with technology, and your well-being will thank you.
story credit: InboxArmy.
About InboxArmy: InboxArmy is a premier email marketing agency dedicated to ensuring your messages reach the right audience. Leveraging innovative technology and strategic insights, InboxArmy empowers businesses to boost engagement and drive campaign success.
Sources:
Britons spend more time on tech than asleep, study suggests – BBC News
Digital Detox Facts | Internet Addiction Facts | Time To Log Off
44 Smartphone Addiction Statistics for 2025 [INFOGRAPHIC] | SlickText.
The science is in: Interruptions Kill Productivity and Increase Stress (with sources) | WorkJoy
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Health
Youth Council Raises $200K to Fund Mental Health Programming
(PHOTO: Rye Youth Council (RYC)’s annual spring benefit on April 24, 2025 raised over $200K to support its mental health programs. The RYC Board of Directors. Credit: Anja Porto.) Over 275 people came out for the Rye Youth Council (RYC)’s spring benefit, the Help Helps Soiree, at The Apawamis Club last Thursday. The group honored […]
Over 275 people came out for the Rye Youth Council (RYC)’s spring benefit, the Help Helps Soiree, at The Apawamis Club last Thursday. The group honored Dr. Eric Byrne, outgoing superintendent of Rye City schools, for supporting its programs and services and expanding mental health support for students across the District. The group raised over $200,000 to help sustain and grow its prevention, intervention, and mental health and wellness programs that elevate youth mental well-being and support families in the community.
“RYC serves as a vital resource our our entire community, collaborating with schools, healthcare providers, local business, and government partners to promote the social and emotional development of our youth, strengthen their resilience and support their mental health and well-being,” said RYC Board Member and Psychotherapist Marnie White, LCSW.
Rye High School junior TJ Neeves took the stage, sharing a presentation he created and narrated to thank Dr. Byrne for making inclusion his mission, “that sparked something larger and encouraged others to create more accessible programming.”
Lisa Dominici, RYC executive director, thanked the group’s staff and lauded their prevention and youth development efforts through initiatives like the Peer to Peer and the Student-athlete Mental Health programs. The evening highlighted RYC Restore, the clinical counseling and therapy service for children ages 5-22.
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