How does my encounter with alpaca Gustav relate to mental health?

Mental health is absolutely essential to our overall well-being: "There is no health without mental health" (WHO). And it is also something we should never take for granted.

Oct. 10 is World Mental Health Day #worldmentalhealthday: global attention is being drawn to the importance of mental health. This year's theme is "Making mental health and well-being a global priority for all." We can start by prioritizing our own mental well-being, taking good care of ourselves and seeking support when needed.

And this includes taking the pace out of everyday life again and again and consciously returning to the here and now.

Taking the pace out was also the motto for me when I met Gustav the alpaca during an autumn hike in the Rhön Mountains.

Gustav, with his fluffy hairstyle and brown googly eyes, was a true master of composure and slowing down. As soon as I sped up a bit and was half a step ahead of him, he simply stopped - until I was back at shoulder height with him. So it was a matter of letting go, adapting to his leisurely dawdling and enjoying the moment and the landscape in a relaxed trot. Only to be abruptly invited by him into a jolly galloping trot.

At the end of the afternoon: inner peace coupled with happy hormones. A real booster for my mental health that carries me into the new week.

❔ What have you done lately for your mental well-being?
❔ How do you manage to slow down in everyday life?