Here is your weekly news roundup of articles, reports, resources and webinars you might find interesting.
May is National Bike Safety Month
Have a great ride! 
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Since the coronavirus pandemic took hold in March, a cycling boom has been under way across the US. The National Association of City Transport Officials (NACTO) says they are seeing an “explosion in cycling” in many American cities. Eco-Counter, which collects bike data,  reports  that bicycle counts have “significantly increased” across most of North America compared to usual. In the two weeks to 4 May, it found the US region with the most growth was the south-west, which was up by over 100%. Read full article .
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Get tips on choosing cycling equipment , learn the health benefits and environmental impact of cycling and more.
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Find the right helmet and learn the rules of the road.
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Find the top rated bike trails in Connecticut.
Mental Health Month Continues
This week we explore the importance of connecting with others
and creating healthy routines.

INTERESTING FACT : It takes an average of 66 days for a behavior to become automatic (a habit), but for some people it can take as long as 8 1/2 months. Don’t give up!
Looking for local mental health resources? Visit The Hub !
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Save the Date for These Online Trainings!
Sunday, May 24, 2020 | 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Natalie will discuss how writing is helping her get through these challenging times. Equal parts encouragement and challenge, Natalie will cut through the noise and the endless excuses and make a case for why you should be writing more, not less, when life becomes difficult. You’ll have the opportunity to submit questions during the talk, and Natalie will answer as many as possible at the end of the presentation. Register now .
Thursday, May 28, 2020 | 1:00 – 2:00 PM
Join this complimentary webinar. Attendees will learn:
  • How the nation’s largest private integrated health care organization uses digital self-care tools to put evidence-based practices at members’ fingertips
  • Scalable strategies to combat the negative impact the virus has had on mental health, felt by nearly half of U.S. adults
  • What the future may hold for behavioral healthcare, and how consumer healthcare expectations and needs are evolving in real-time Learn more and register.
Thursday, May 28, 2020 | 2:00 – 3:00 PM
An interactive discussion about how treatment and service providers and practitioners can use shared decision-making (SDM) practices and tools to support the engagement, recovery, and resilience of people with mental illness and substance use disorder. Presenters will share practical strategies and web-based SDM tools and resources developed by SAMHSA to help you engage in meaningful dialogue and collaborative treatment decisions that meet the needs of people in or seeking recovery. Register now.
Finding Compassion Within: Tools for Living with Hope & Grace in Difficult Times
July 9th, 16th, 23rd & 30th | 12:00 - 1:00 PM
Participants MUST attend all 4 sessions. Fee: $20.
T his 4-week thematic class is designed for behavioral health clinicians who want to learn the powerful practices of self-compassion to find a greater sense of happiness, joy, social connectedness, and life satisfaction. There will be a strong emphasis on practicing self-compassion meditations including, mindfulness of breath, affectionate body scan, supportive touch, self-compassion break, compassionate breathing, and guided visualizations for inner strength. Register now.
Fun Things to Do
Hidden Gems of Connecticut
The latest voyage to a Hidden Gem in Connecticut takes us to a state park on the shore, across a sandbar and to a place a purported pirate may have buried some treasure. Welcome to Charles Island, officially part of Silver Sands State Park. Read more.
This organization is looking for kids to read to therapy dogs on Zoom
If you have young readers who want to put their budding literary skills to good use, People Animals Love (PAL) is searching for volunteers. To help kids gain confidence and foster their love of Fido, the organization is allowing children to  read to therapy dogs via Zoom . Read more.
Resources & Reports
Free Resources: For Small Businesses
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New Business Recovery Website
The state’s Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) launched  a new website , a resource for businesses as they prepare to reopen. It offers resources such as employee training and support documents, physical layout solutions, a vetted, geographic list of supplies and financial resources beyond the PPP through the CARES Act. DECD will launch a series of webinars in conjunction with the Small Business Development Centers.
Infrared Thermometers Available to Eligible Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Places of Worship
Governor Ned Lamont today announced that the State of Connecticut will be distributing 50,000 infrared thermometers it has secured for small businesses, nonprofits, and places of worship to support safe reopening activities amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Small businesses, nonprofits, and places of worship that would like to request equipment from the state’s supply of infrared thermometers should fill out a form online to indicate their request. This distribution will continue while supplies last. Learn more.
Reports
Even as applause to honor them swells nightly from city windows, and cookies and thank-you notes arrive at hospitals, the doctors, nurses and emergency responders on the front lines of a pandemic they cannot control are battling a crushing sense of inadequacy and anxiety.
Every day they become more susceptible to post-traumatic stress, mental health experts say. And their psychological struggles could impede their ability to keep working with the intensity and focus their jobs require. Read full article.
Here’s how the COVID-19 pandemic social distancing and lockdown affect you and what you can do about it.
Now that it’s day who-even-knows-anymore in the  coronavirus   pandemic , and the initial shock of it all is starting to wear off, you might find yourself distracted by a barrage of mental and physical symptoms that weren’t as prominent back when panic-induced toilet-paper hoarding was hogging your attention. This is because the prolonged levels of  anxiety  we’ve been enduring the last few months are straight-up wearing us down. Read full article.
Depression, anxiety and agoraphobia are among the mental health issues therapists are concerned about in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Regardless of your mental and emotional well-being prior to the pandemic, Aldao and Schwehm worry that the pandemic and quarantine will have long-reaching effects on people’s mental health. Here are five ways the COVID-19 crisis and social distancing in particular might affect our collective mental well-being. Read full article.


With a sharply rising need for mental health resources since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Walgreens today announced it has completed its first phase of training in Mental Health First Aid, administered by the National Council for Behavioral Health, for all of the company’s health outcomes pharmacists. Read full article .


The study provides some of the most precise estimates yet of Americans' exposure to such ads—averaging more than one a day—and found a link between that exposure and drinking behavior. Read full article .


A recent six-year study, the longest study ever done on video game addiction, found that about 90% of gamers do not play in a way that is harmful or causes negative long-term consequences. A significant minority, though, can become truly addicted to video games and as a result can suffer mentally, socially and behaviorally. Read full report .
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