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The youth-led mental health organization Yellow Tulip Project launched a mental health awareness campaign called Tails and Tulips, where people are encouraged to go out and move it around with their pets. Events director Madeleine Manno, 18, from Boston, Massachusetts – who has two dogs and two cats herself – says: “Animals have such a healing effect, and the time spent petting your cat or playing with it your dog can boost your mood. Pets are also a huge motivation for us to get out and #MoveIt!”
The 2022 campaign invites participants to #MoveIt with their pets and take photos, whether walking, hiking, running or swimming. Entrants can then post the dog-human images to their social media pages so that their friends, family members and other social followers feel inspired to get involved. At the same time, Madelaine says, their followers will become aware of the stigma surrounding mental health and feel compelled to break it!
Madeleine says you don’t have to have a pet to register for the month-long event, and any form of movement – whether it’s running a 5k or knitting – is more than welcome. People of all ages, body types and physical abilities are encouraged to join and register for free. She says, “As a bonus, when you raise or donate over $35, you’ll receive a thank you letter from one of our ambassadors and an adorable bandana that you can put on your pet or wear yourself. same !
Click on here get involved in the Tails & Tulips Campaign or learn more about the organization. Or follow Facebook, instagram, ICT Tac and YouTube @theyellowtulipproject. Listen to the Yellow Tulip Project, Roots and Wings podcast on Spotify: Roots & Wings, Taffy Talks
The Yellow Tulip Project tackles mental health and dogs
Dogster caught up with Madeleine to dig deeper into the Yellow Tulip Project’s Tails & Tulips campaign. Madeleine has been part of the Yellow Tulip Project for three years as a passionate mental health advocate. She goes even further by attending the University of Pittsburgh next year to study Applied Developmental Psychology and Special Education.
Dogster: Can you tell us more about the Yellow Tulip project?
Madeleine: The Yellow Tulip Project was founded by Julia Hansen and her mother, Suzanne. Julia dealt with her own depression throughout middle and high school, and sadly lost two of her best friends to suicide when she was a sophomore in high school at age 15. Tired of the stigma surrounding mental illness, Julia started talking about mental health and wanted to create a safe space for young people to build community and bring hope to all. Thus, the Yellow Tulip Project was born and boasts a strong team of young leaders who spend their time advocating for mental health reform and sparking conversations about how to combat rising suicide rates. See Ted Talk by Julia Hansens on depression, suicide and mental health here.
Dogster: We love that the theme of this year’s campaign is Tails & Tulips and the dogs involved. Can you tell us how the Tails & Tulips campaign was born?
Madeleine: When the Move It planning team met in November 2021, we were trying to brainstorm fun and innovative ideas to get more people involved in Move It! We thought about how difficult the past few years have been mentally because of the pandemic and everything that’s happened in the world, and we reflected on how our pets have given us so much comfort during these periods. …Although we may reluctantly wake up early in the morning to walk our dogs, it’s this little exercise that sets the tone for our whole day. I know that when I walk my dog, it gives me time and silence to reflect on my goals, how I feel, and what I can do to improve myself.
Dogster: How does the Yellow Tulip Project think dogs can help with mental health?
Madeleine: The Yellow Tulip Project believes that dogs can help with mental health because they are our constant supporters and always give us so much love. As soon as you walk through the door after a long, hard day, you have a four-legged friend who greets you with enthusiasm! Dogs encourage you to improve your own health when they beg you to take them for a walk or toss them a ball. Dogs are always up for adventures with you, so spending time with your dog is a great excuse to get moving, whether you’re hiking, swimming, running, or even doing yoga! Dogs are great support animals and will be with you no matter what: they don’t judge you or think less of you. To them, you are their whole world, and they love and cherish you deeply. Having a best friend like a dog is definitely a wonderful thing, and they are amazing animals to have as support systems when you’re feeling down.
Dogster: Do you believe discussing mental health is more important than ever?
Madeleine: 100% – I think that while the pandemic has caused so much devastation and loss, it has also amplified the mental health conversation like never before and made it mainstream. Everyone has experienced the loneliness and anxiety of a global pandemic and quarantine, so mental health has become universally recognized. And for those of us who suffered in silence before COVID, this feels, in a way, like a victory.
I know that if in college I had had more conversations about mental health – or even if I had just heard the experiences of people older than me who were also struggling with what I was struggling with – I would have felt much less alone and honestly, I couldn’t do it. have struggled so much. These conversations have such a healing impact – they break the stigma and ultimately save lives.
Dogster: If our readers have mental health issues, how can they get help?
I am not a mental health professional. That said, our young leaders have created a really awesome self-care guide that consists of self-care tips and tricks for anyone struggling with their mental health. Here are my tips from the guide:
Enter every experience with an open mind! I tend to create so much anxiety when I try something new, but I always end up realizing that there is nothing to worry about! While it’s not easy to ignore that questionable voice, I’ve found that positive affirmations and helpful coping skills are key. Affirmations help me to be in a positive frame of mind and to have a more optimistic approach to every experience.
here are my self-care tips:
- Free your energy: Have you ever felt a buildup of energy after a really nerve-wracking or super-exciting event? I know I have. In order to release this energy, I like to do meditation and yoga. Both allowed me to breathe and let go.
- Music: Music has so much power to set the tone for your day. I created a daily music playlist, where I choose a song that sums up my day and add it to a playlist.
- artistic diary: I like to create in all possible ways, especially in my journal! My journal allowed me to escape pressure and explore my creative freedom. I write my feelings, doodle, splatter paint on the pages and include memories
- It’s good to be alone: Being alone is both difficult and scary but has allowed me to tune in to my emotions, decompress and not worry about those around me. I recommend going out into nature, reading, or having a date at your favorite cafe.
If you are really struggling, consider contacting a mental health helpline:
Dogster: What is your hope for the Yellow Tulip project? Where do you hope it will be in five years?
Madeleine: Five years ago, when the Yellow Tulip Project was just founded, we only had a pretty logo and a determined high school student who was tired of the silence around mental illness. Our message of hope, action and stigma reduction has exploded onto the national stage in such a short time. In our next five years, I hope the stigma around mental illness is truly broken down so people know there is help and hope out there and it’s okay to not going well and that things can and will get better. I hope when people see a yellow tulip it will remind them of hope.
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