I feel like there’s a whole lot of intention in the world but little action. I myself am guilty of this. Sometimes I want to donate blood. There are times when I go to donate because it’s conveniently set up on campus and it makes me feel good. Everyone wins. I get free snacks and a juice while someone out there gets the blood they need to survive. But sometimes, I get denied because my iron is low. I don’t eat enough iron enriched foods apparently and iron pills are just a no-go for me since they make me… intestinally challenged. Not a pretty picture. So why don’t I just eat that extra helping of spinach so I can pass the blood test? Why don’t I make these small but pivotal steps to becoming a responsible citizen to make a better change in the world for people who really need it? Well, maybe I don’t really like spinach. Maybe it’s hard to integrate it into my cultural diet. For whatever reason, being Mahatma Ghandi and being the change you want to see in the world isn’t always what you’re going to get when you try to make things better. Sometimes you have to start really small. Almost invisible. Well, kinda invisible. Which brings me to the topic of: mental health memes.

So this may seem like a joke and there are tons of jokes flooding the internet right now, probably more so than ever before, but I really think it’s important to talk about mental health memes. Sure, they’re relatable for a five second almost inaudible laugh out the nose while scrolling on social media, but I feel like they’re a tool that’s been used for a while that has more power than people give it credit for. Bringing it back to the intention but little action I mentioned earlier, I think people want for there to be a destigmatization of mental illness but don’t know how to do that in a significantly impactful way and I think that’s the wrong approach. Wanting to make an impact isn’t wrong, but wanting to make a huge impact may not be the most effective angle. Starting small and building a community, a safe space, a small universe of like-minded and supportive individuals with the same goal in mind— that’s where the memes come in. To say memes are a form of communication is to miss the heart of where they come from. Memes, in the realm of mental health, have a way of surpassing anxieties, depressions and stigmas and reaching into that part of us that is open to laughing and relating without shame to the nuances and struggles of having a mental illness. We’ll laugh at how our illnesses cripples us, and we’re all laughing together and not at each other. I think that’s noteworthy. How is it so easy when funny pictures and text is involved? I guess it’s all a part of meme culture and how the young adults and also younger generations seem to cope with all that goes on around them. It’s a weapon, never used to kill, only used to make you die of laughter. It’s a joke, never at the expense of one person, only used to make us feel closer at a time we’re so far apart. Memes are more than communication, they are conversation and that, I feel, is how we raise awareness.  

If you ever feel as if you’re not doing enough or if you’re not enough. Your try is enough. You are enough. You’re always enough. Keep on keeping on and keep sharing memes, kittens