Brookhaven Retreat®, LLC, a unique residential treatment facility exclusively for women with mental health and/or substance abuse issues, hosted an outdoor picnic in recognition of Labor Day on September 5th.
Labor Day is known as the unofficial end of the summer season. Many schools are back in session, signs of autumn are appearing, and the temperature is slowly dropping. This can often be an emotionally difficult time of year for women with mental health and/or substance abuse issues. There is a common cultural expectation of warm and sunny days with increased positive emotions; however, summer time depression is a common occurrence along with anxiety and grief. Summer vacations and back to school season are challenging for women suffering from bereavement, abandonment, and loss.
Brookhaven Retreat recognizes the importance of practicing regular self-care practices and enjoying outdoors activities, such as picnic, can help ease the symptoms of summer time depression. As part of The Lily Program®, a 90-day treatment for women offered exclusively at Brookhaven Retreat, clients are often asked to record how they feel in a mood journal and what parts of routines and schedules relate to depressed or anxious feelings.
On September 5th, clients and staff hosted an outdoors picnic featuring spa inspired cuisine created by Brookhaven Retreat’s very own culinary artists. Appetizers included fresh avocado guacamole and salsa fresco with corn chips, followed by an entrée of pulled pork shoulder with pickled red onions and chilled broccoli salad with cranberries, bacon and cheese; tomato and nectarine summer salad. The picnic concluded with desserts of peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream and white chocolate raspberry cheesecake.
The picnic atmosphere was ideal for promoted dining, communicating, and relaxation in the great outdoors. There are numerous benefits from eating outdoors; one of the greatest is gaining Vitamin D from the sun. Vitamin D studies have shown that proper levels of the vitamin lead to improved mental and physical health.
