World Mental Health Day 2022 with Feminist Iranian Poet Forough Farrokhzad
"When my faith was hanging
By the weak thread of justice
And In the whole city
The hearts of my lamps were
Being torn to pieces,
When the childlike eyes of my love
were being blindfolded by law’s black kerchief,
And fountains of blood were gushing forth
From the distressed temples of my desire,
When my life was no longer anything,
Nothing but the tick-tock of a wall clock,
I discovered that I must,
That I absolutely had to
Love madly."
- "The Window", feminist Iranian poet Forough Farrokhzad, 1962
The theme of 2022's World Mental Health Day is "Make mental health for all a global priority."
And the first things we may see on October 10th (also Indigenous Peoples Day, click here for 11 Things To Do To Show Support) to celebrate this initiative are post after post about how to practice self care. After that will likely come some resources on how to reach out for help or how to help support someone struggling.
But the less popular posts will be those that use this important time to shine yet more light on the impact that oppressive structures (sexism, racism, capitalism, for example) have on collective mental health.
And in October of 2022, we can't think of a more pointed time to feature the work of Forough Farrokhzad, known as one of Iran's most notorious poets, for she wrote about feminism in Iran throughout her short life.
Yes, on world mental health day, we can give you:
Self care resources:
Special: Mindfulness Meditation
Episode 25: Permission to Be Bored: Creating Blank Space in a World of Constant Downloads
Episode 19: I Can’t Meditate Because…
Special: Guided Body Scan (bonus episode)
Support resources:
Supporting Others in the Workplace
How to support someone living with a mental illness
For Friends and Family Members | MentalHealth.gov
But what we think is most important to provide in light of this year's theme, are resources to learn more about Iranian poet Forough Farrokhzad, what she stood for, and the symbolism she continues to embody in Iran:
Forough Farrokhzad, a poet for all ages
The Legendary Iranian Poet Who Gives Me Hope
'The Bird May Die': Forough Farrokhzad's Poems and Iran's Caged Women
We live in an inequitable world. And there is far too much information, negative news, and corporations that will pay for your attention to constantly be "on" all the time. But if you have a moment, today, give back to yourself through a mindfulness practice, and give a moment to honor the women in Iran, whose mental health is at the absolute backburner as they fight for rights, and to stay alive.
Feminist Iranian poet Forough Farrokhzad