It’s Monday again!
Welcome to The Mental Minute where our goal is to make mental health a daily conversation. Take a few minutes to enjoy today’s news, tips, key resources and product reviews.
🗞 In The News
Credit: CBS News - University Communications
As finals season ramps up, the University of Virginia’s chief mental health officer is reminding students that self-care isn’t a luxury — it’s part of success. Nicole Ruzek stresses that fueling your brain with balanced meals, hydration, and movement helps your mind stay sharp and focused, even when stress is high.
Planning out study days and prioritizing tasks cuts down anxiety by turning chaos into a roadmap instead of a to-do pile. She also warns against comparing yourself to others online or in person, reminding students that you’re only seeing the highlight reel, not the full picture. Simple shifts like these can make crunch time feel way more manageable and way less overwhelming.
Credit: FirstPost | Reuters
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first at-home device designed to help treat depression without medication — a huge shift in how mental health care could work. The Flow Neuroscience FL-100 headset uses mild electrical stimulation to target brain regions linked to mood, and adults with moderate to severe depression can use it at home with a doctor’s prescription.
Clinical trials showed many people saw real improvement in their depressive symptoms over weeks of use, and it’s expected to be available in the U.S. by mid-2026. It’s not meant to replace therapy or meds, but it adds a new tool for people who haven’t found relief from traditional treatments or want alternatives without drug side effects.
This tech feels like something out of sci-fi — a depression-fighting headset you can use at home — and while it won’t fix everything, it’s a big step forward in making mental-health care more accessible.
15 million
According to Mental Health America, 15 million or 7% of American adults have Social Anxiety Disorder. More than 75% of people experience their first symptoms during their childhood or early teenage years. People with social anxiety disorder are also at an increased risk for substance use disorder and major depressive disorder.
📖 What’s The Meaning
Social anxiety or social phobia is a disorder marked by fear of social situations where embarrassment could occur or where there is a risk of being negatively evaluated by others like speeches, meeting strangers or just making conversation. Social anxiety involves apprehensiveness about one’s social status, role, and behavior. When the anxiety causes an individual significant distress or impairment in functioning, a diagnosis of social phobia may be warranted.
Know someone struggling with social anxiety? Suggested treatments include therapy which teaches coping skills, along with medication and lifestyle changes such as regular exercise, mindfulness, and reducing caffeine/alcohol, with a mental health professional best determining the right approach.
🆘 Help for All
Credit: Pexels
Mental Health: In Crisis? Call or Text 988
Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press ‘1’ or Text 838255
Youth Helpline: 2NDFLOOR - (888) 222-2228
National Domestic Violence Hotline: (800) 799-SAFE (7233)
National Suicide Prevention Hotline: (800) 273-TALK (8255)
Addiction: Start Your Recovery - (800) 662-4357
🗞 More News
Credit: MSN
Streamer Kai Cenat recently got real about the mental-health pressure behind his huge online success, saying the constant grind and expectations took a toll on his well-being. At the Streamer Awards, he encouraged other creators and fans to prioritize their mental health instead of just chasing clout and views.
During his recent break from nonstop streaming, he found comfort in watching anime like Naruto and Death Note, which helped him reset and find small moments of joy again. Cenat also stressed that collaboration and support within the creator community matters more than rivalry.
His honesty is a great reminder that even when someone seems “on top of the world,” dealing with stress, burnout, and mental ups and downs is real — and it’s okay to take a step back to care for your mind.
🕹 Mind Games
The 15 puzzle is a classic Tile Slide Puzzle with 15 numbered tiles in a 4x4 frame, leaving one empty space to slide tiles into, aiming to get them in numerical order (from left to right, top to bottom).
Tiles in the same row or column of the open position can be moved by sliding them horizontally or vertically, respectively.
✏ Take The Quiz: Social Anxiety
Online screening is a quick and easy way to see what mental health symptoms you may be experiencing. It’s quick, free, confidential, and backed by science.
Mental health conditions are real and common.
Take the Social Anxiety or Universal Mental Health Quiz
🛍 Product Review
The Hug Sleep Pod is a comfy body-hugging “cocoon” blanket designed to help you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly by mimicking the gentle pressure of a hug — like a lighter, more flexible alternative to a weighted blanket. It uses soft, stretchy compression to help calm your nervous system, which can reduce tension and anxiety and make winding down at night easier.
Reviewers say it can feel soothing and help with restless nights, especially if standard blankets aren’t doing the trick, and it’s easier to manage than chunkier weighted options. But it’s not for everyone — if you hate feeling wrapped up or have to move around in your sleep a lot, that snug, swaddle-like sensation might feel restrictive rather than relaxing.
In a mental-health context, products that help improve sleep quality — like this one might — can support better mood, focus, and stress resilience, but nothing replaces healthy sleep habits and professional care when needed.
📞 Share the Health
The Mental Minute is your #1 source for the latest mental health news, tips, key resources and product reviews. Our goal is to make mental health an everyday conversation.
Don’t keep us all to yourself. Sharing is caring - so share The Mental Minute with all of your friends!
Thanks, and Be Well.
— The Mental Minute
