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I am a white heterosexual cisgender female, married with no children. I grew up in New York City (USA), lived in Philadelphia (USA) for 10+ years, then Shanghai (China) for 3 years, and now San Francisco (USA) for 2+ years, mostly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

I am in my 1st semester for Master of Arts in  Mental Health Counseling at Saybrook University. I previously worked as a web developer and in tech support, then taught English and learned Chinese (conversational) in China.

Note about this course: I joined late so I'm trying my best to catch up.

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At the moment, I am not actively supporting any of the UNSDG#3 goals on a regular basis in my community. I am training to be a mental health counselor, so I can see myself working to help people with substance abuse/misuse (#3.5), sexual education (#3.7), and family planning.

I also hope to work to provide affordable and accessible mental health care to more people, which is related to #3.8. I don't know what that will look like but it is important to me that everyone have access to quality mental health care.

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The article that most expanded my view of self-care this week was "Recognizing the Complexity of Self-Care" (Riegel & Jaarsma, 2021). Previously, I considered self-care to manage psychological and emotional well-being with techniques like meditation and relaxation. I had heard that it is essential to care for yourself so you can be your best and help others. This article approached self-care from a medical perspective, in the context of managing illnesses and chronic conditions. I had never thought of medication adherence as a form of self-care but I see how essential it is. I appreciated the discussion around "empowerment-based and self-regulatory approaches" and how healthcare providers can help patients feel agency over their lives, even with chronic debilitating conditions.

Reference: Riegel, B. & Jaarsma, T. (2021). Recognizing the complexity of self-care. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 116. https://
doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2021.103908

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The poem "I Apologize" written and performed by Alejandro Jimenez made me cry. I heard the pain of a child unable to relieve himself. That pain was connected with the pain of past oppressed generations. I also heard the pride of ancestors, of culture. I heard the reasons someone might stay quiet. It was beautiful, painful, and I felt the pain he expressed. It moves me to help people who are marginalized, oppressed, and otherwise unable to give voice to how their rights are violated.

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Mexican Education | Alejandro Jimenez | TEDxCSU

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First, I had to look up the states of Mexico. I was familiar with a few but there are so many more than I realized. Most of the ones I've heard of are from vacation destinations (Yucatan, Baja California, Veracruz), food (Oaxaca, Jalisco, Tabasco), or the news (Chihuahua, Chiapas, Puebla).

https://www.mexconnect.com/articles/3437-map-of-mexico-and-mexico-s-states/

Then, I dove into exploring the food, because that's my favorite way to learn about a culture. The videos posted in the Week 1 module were helpful but I most enjoyed learning about Oaxaca, "the cradle of Mexican food". What stood out to me in this video was the focus on preserving heritage through recipes and traditional methods of preparing food, as well as the evolution of Oaxaca from a locally respected to globally recognized food capital. It was interesting to hear people discuss the need to preserve traditional, local, and indigenous traditions around food and the ways they are working to do that at the individual and institutional levels.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I61bmSb44o

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Oaxaca's cuisine: the cradle of Mexican food

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I had not considered human trafficking in my community before. I always thought of it as occurring in other countries. I was also not aware that California is the leading state in number of human trafficking cases (based on hotline calls) (Neal Davis Law Firm, n.d.). Although 2/3 of cases are about sexual exploitation, I can see how a state on the border with Mexico has so many cases.

I did hear recently about a volunteer opportunity at a women's shelter where they expressly state that many of the women there were victims of human trafficking. It sounds like such a horrific experience that I don't feel like I'm capable of providing adequate support. But that's why there is such a long training before volunteering (40 hours). This type of training is one way that I plan to learn more about improving health and wellbeing for people impacted by human trafficking in my area.

Reference: Neal Davis Law Firm (n.d.). U.S. human trafficking statistics & laws by state. Neal Davis Law Firm. Retrieved November 26, 2021 from
https://www.nealdavislaw.com/criminal-defense-guides/human-trafficking-statistics.html

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The UNSDG target #3.5 carries the most meaning for me. I have had some personal experience with the effects of substance abuse. The infographic that calls out the disruptions caused by COVID-19 bring to mind the ways that people changed their substance use habits, typically for the worse.

Although I did not personally experience any negative effects of substance misuse during COVID-19, I can understand how the isolation, disruption, uncertainty, and fear contributed to an increase in substance use related issues and probably reduced the likelihood of identification of issues or access to treatment.

United Nations (n.d.). Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. United Nations.
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/health/

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One takeaway that stood out to me is one I have heard in many different contexts: Mexico is not a monoculture. I have heard this before in relation to the USA and China. It is a common assumption people fall back on when considering cultural groups, especially ones they are not part of.

As a white American, I am aware that Mexico has great cultural diversity but when I hear someone is a Mexican immigrant in the USA, a picture forms in my mind (semiotic) of low socioeconomic status. I assume they came to the USA for economic opportunities but don't consider that they could be a software developer or doctor. These assumptions are all fueled by popular media depictions in movies and the news. They are assumptions that I need to challenge more often.

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Reading this article (full reference below) helped me consider how huge the impact of addressing the UNSDG's can be. Mexico set a goal of reducing premature mortality by 40% by the year 2030. My first thought was that this goal focused on health from a medical perspective. While there are many aspects of healthcare that will be addressed with this target, it also considers the impact of accidental deaths (e.g. road accidents) and homicide.

Another way in which this goal highlights the intersectionality of industries is the policies established by the Mexican government to change consumption patterns. They have increased taxes on tobacco, sugar-sweetened drinks, and high-calorie processed food. I had heard of similar taxes in the U.S.A. but it is strong reminder of all the ways we can protect our wellbeing beyond medical check-ups and healthcare.

Reference: Gonzalez-Pier, E., Barraza-Llorens, M., Beyeler, N., Jamison, D., Knaul, F., Lozano, R., Yamey, G., Sepulveda, J. (2016). Mexico's path towards the Sustainable Development Goal for health: An assessment of the feasibility of reducing premature mortality by 40% by 2030. Lancet Global Health 4, 714-725. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(16)30181-4

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Mexico’s path towards the Sustainable Development Goal for health: an assessment of the feasibility of reducing premature mortality by 40% by 2030

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Urgent action is now required to control non-communicable diseases and reduce fatal
injuries in Mexico, making a 40% reduction in premature mortality by 2030 feasible
and putting Mexico back on a track of substantial life expectancy convergence with
better performing countries. Our study provides a…

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I enjoyed hearing about health and wellness from the perspective of a mind body medicine practitioner. Since so many of my thoughts/actions focus around food, I most appreciated the reminder to be mindful of what food we ingest and the effects it can have on not just nutrition but energy as well.

The content in the presentation was very informative and practical but a bit overwhelming because I want to make all these changes to my life to improve it but there is so much to work on physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I can appreciate how each change has integrated effects across all aspects of the body and life. It's hard to choose just one area to start making change.