Mindful Mustangs


Mindful Mustangs is a magazine written by and for Norwood residents about their wellness.

The magazine features articles and art created by Norwood residents reflecting all aspects of health,  including sharing favorite ways to exercise, the best local restaurants to get a healthy meal, stories of resilience, coping mechanisms, and creating a new sport!

 

We are looking for contributions of all kinds from all ages!

If you’d like to participate but need some ideas of what to write about, please look at the variety of prompts we have available. We have some general prompts as well as prompts that may be best suited to specific age groups. We encourage you to take a look and get inspired to express your wellness however suits you best!

  • Here are some general prompts that can help inspire articles for people of all ages!

    What is your favorite local place to get a healthy meal?

    What is your favorite local hike/scenic location?

    How does physical activity impact your mental health?

    How has substance use (your own or others’) impacted your life?

    Why do we need to talk about mental health?

    Share a resilience story of overcoming adversity, including mental health and addiction struggles. 

    What is your favorite way to stay active?

    Why is it important to eat a balanced diet?

    Why is it important to have alone time? What is the difference between taking time for yourself and isolating yourself?

    What do you do to feel better when you are feeling angry or sad?

    What does it mean for someone to have a “safe space”? How could this be beneficial to a person’s well-being?

  • Here are some prompts specifically for children from toddler through 5th grade! Feel free to submit articles and artwork!

    What are some signs that someone may be struggling with their mental health?

    Why is it important for people to prioritize their mental care and wellness?

    Do you know how to ask for help if you were ever to need it? What would you do?

    What is your favorite sport? Why?

    Why is it important to eat a balanced diet?

    How does being active make you feel?

    Imagine you’re creating a new sport. How do you play and how do you win?

    What do you do to feel better when you are feeling angry or sad?

    Why do we need to talk about mental health?

    What does it mean for someone to have a “safe space”? How could this be beneficial to a person’s well-being?

    What is your favorite healthy meal? Why?

    Why is it important to have alone time?

  • Here are some prompts specifically for youth in middle school! 

    What would you do if you suspected a friend was depressed? 

    Who could you turn to if you were struggling with your own mental wellness?

    How do you do self-care?

    Why is it important to not use substances?

    What is one way staying active has positively impacted your life?

    Why is it important to talk about your feelings with family and friends?

    How do you challenge negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones?

    What is one way you can support a friend going through a hard time?

    How does sleep affect your wellbeing?

    Imagine you’re creating a new sport. How do you play and how do you win?

    Why do we need to talk about mental health?

    What does it mean for someone to have a “safe space”? How could this be beneficial to a person’s well-being?

    Why is it important to eat a balanced diet?

    Why is it important to have alone time? What is the difference between taking time for yourself and isolating yourself?

  • Here are some prompts specifically for youth in high school! 

    Why is telling a depressed person to “just try to be happy” equivalent to telling someone with a broken leg to “just try to walk”? 

    What does it mean for someone to have a “safe space”? How could this be beneficial to a person’s well-being?

    How could our school better support students who struggle with their mental health? 

    What is your favorite local place to get a healthy meal?

    What is your favorite local hike/scenic location?

    How do you do self-care?

    What would you do if you suspected your friend was depressed?

    Have you ever pretended to be happy when you were upset? Why?

    How does sleep affect your wellbeing?

    What influence does caffeine have on your mental/emotional wellbeing?

    Do you think you could be peer-pressured into doing something unsafe? What can you do to avoid getting peer-pressured in this way?

    What is one way staying active has positively impacted your life?

    Why is it important to avoid using substances?

    How does school pressure affect your mental health?

    How does pressure about deciding your future (ex. college) affect your mental health?

    Does the school offer enough healthy, enjoyable foods at lunch? How could they change this?

    How does physical activity impact your mental health?

    How have school sports impacted your life?

    How does procrastinating affect your mental health?

    Why do we need to talk about mental health?

    Why is it important to eat a balanced diet?

    Why is it important to have alone time? What is the difference between taking time for yourself and isolating yourself?

  • Here are some prompts specifically for young adults of ages 18-25! 

    Do you know people who talk openly about their mental health? How does this impact you?

    Would you ever consider seeing a therapist or a psychiatrist? Why or why not?

    What are some reasons people might be afraid to ask for help with their mental illness?

    What is your favorite local place to get a healthy meal?

    What is your favorite local hike/scenic location?

    What would you do if you suspected your friend was depressed?

    How do you do self-care?

    Have you ever pretended to be happy when you were upset? Why?

    What influence does caffeine have on your mental/emotional wellbeing?

    How does physical activity impact your mental health?

    How does pressure about deciding your future affect your mental health?

    How does procrastinating affect your mental health?

    How has substance use (your own or others’) impacted your life?

    Why do we need to talk about mental health?

    How does the pressure of balancing school, work, relationships, and life impact your mental health?

    Why is it important to eat a balanced diet?

    Why is it important to have alone time? What is the difference between taking time for yourself and isolating yourself?

  • Here are some prompts specifically for adults of ages 26-40! 

    Could therapy be beneficial for people who do not have issues with their mental state and health? Why or why not?

    What is your favorite local place to get a healthy meal?

    What is your favorite local hike/scenic location?

    Would you ever consider seeing a therapist or a psychiatrist? Why or why not?

    What influence does caffeine have on your mental/emotional well being?

    How does physical activity impact your mental health?

    How has substance use (your own or others’) impacted your life?

    Why do we need to talk about mental health?

    How does the idea of starting a family impact your mental health?

    How does having young children impact your overall wellbeing?

    Does teaching your children sports help you to become more active? How?

    Why is it important to eat a balanced diet?

    Why is it important to have alone time? What is the difference between taking time for yourself and isolating yourself?

  • Here are some prompts specifically for adults of ages 41-61! 

    Do you think your mental health is connected to your physical health? Why or why not? 

    Should people with documented mental issues be prohibited from certain activities, such as driving a car or owning a gun? Why or why not?

    What is your favorite local place to get a healthy meal?

    What is your favorite local hike/scenic location?

    How does physical activity impact your mental health?

    How has substance use (your own or others’) impacted your life?

    Why do we need to talk about mental health?

    Share a resilience story of overcoming adversity, including mental health and addiction struggles. 

    How does balancing work, family time, and life impact your mental health?

    Do you discuss mental health with your children/grandchildren? How would you start a discussion with your family about mental health?

    Why is it important to eat a balanced diet?

    Why is it important to have alone time? What is the difference between taking time for yourself and isolating yourself?

  • Here are some prompts specifically for senior citizens, age 62+! 

    Do jokes about mental health mock people who are struggling or serve to de-stigmatize these forms of illness? Why?

    Some illnesses simply occur (some say due to genes), while others are triggered by an event. Should these be differentiated? Why or why not?

    What is your favorite local place to get a healthy meal?

    What is your favorite local hike/scenic location?

    How does physical activity impact your mental health?

    How has substance use (your own or others’) impacted your life?

    Why do we need to talk about mental health?

    Share a resilience story of overcoming adversity, including mental health and addiction struggles. 

    How does interacting with your children and grandchildren impact your mental health?

    What is your favorite way to stay active?

    Do you discuss mental health with your children/grandchildren? How would you start a discussion with your family about mental health?

    How does getting older affect your mental health?

    How does being in retirement affect your mental health?

    How do you maintain a strong sense of self in retirement?

    Why is it important to eat a balanced diet?

    Why is it important to have alone time? What is the difference between taking time for yourself and isolating yourself?

 

Submitting Your Article

You can submit your article online using this link: http://tinyurl.com/Mindful-Mustangs24.

You can print out a physical copy of the submission form using this template and submit to one of our submission locations: Town Hall, the Civic Center, the Morrill Memorial Library, or the Senior Center.

You can collect a physical copy of the submission form from and return it to one of our submission locations: Town Hall, the Civic Center, the Morrill Memorial Library, or the Senior Center.

All submissions are due by 3/16.

You will hear back about your article submission by 4/6.

We hope to have the magazine complete by 7/1.

Thank you for your contribution!