Elyse Fox, @SadGirlsClub
Elyse Fox is a filmmaker, activist and founder of Sad Girls Club.
Sad Girls Club provides accessible mental health resources for millennials and Gen Z. Their goal is to reduce the global suicide rate while combatting stigma and stereotypes specifically amongst womxn of color and womxn of immigrant communites. They are currently fundraising for 2020 to launch their national college ambassador program and to build a curriculum that introduces mental health language, resources and advice to students.
Whilst we reflect on productivity in a pandemic we wanted to add someone to The Yes List who has built a social media presence which we have been finding a helpful mental health resource. Elyse started Sad Girl’s Club after her own experiences with depression
In 2016 Elyse created a film called ‘Conversations with Friends’ which she describes as a ‘piece of my journey through depression’. Speaking to NBGA Elyse said this on the inspiration behind the club:
“Once I released the film, there were a lot of girls from around the world who reached out to me for advice and to talk about their experiences and their own mental health. I was receiving so many messages that I just created an Instagram page to kind of filter everything out and I called it Sad Girls Club. I wanted to provide resources because a lot of the girls who reached out to me were eleven, twelve, thirteen years old and really didn’t have anybody to speak to, so I just wanted to create a platform for girls to learn about mental health and kind of normalize it.”
Sad Girls Club has grown into a WOC driven community in mental health for GenZ & millennials with 282k followers on Instagram. Sad Girl’s Club’s mission is to;
Remove the negative stigma integrated in mental health conversations.
Provide mental health services to girls who do not have access to therapy and treatment.
Create in real life safe spaces that build a community for young women to know— they are not alone.
“My work through Sad Girls Club has helped me learn what self-care means for me.” – Elyse Fox
Sad Girls Club empowers young women through their mental health journeys and creates community. Sad Girl’s Club Instagram shares helpful mental health tips and check-ins on your timeline to remind you to look after yourself.
While some of the content on your timeline might be telling you to use any extra time you have as a result of the pandemic to pick up new projects, hobbies, more workouts - basically to be more productive than you were before. Sad Girl’s Club is here to reassure you that it’s ok to do… nothing.
“SO, we’re sure your use of social media has increased and it's incredibly easy to compare your productivity with others. We’re here to remind you that time *off* during a pandemic is NOT the perfect time to create your best work. We’ve been seeing a lot of instagram shaming around people’s performance over the past month and we’re here to remind you that it’s absolutely fine to take time and do -nothing-”
Being unable to see friends and family, financial and job insecurity and health anxiety are a recipe for a downturn in your mental health. Follow the link here for Elyse’s talking about her top 3 mental health tips for lockdown:
Follow the link here for Elyse’s talking about her top 3 mental health tips for lockdown:
Routine can give you purpose
The body affects the mind
Togetherness is vital right now
If you’re worried about your mental health, you’re not alone we recommend talking to a friend or tapping into resources like Sad Girls Club. Here’s some link you may find helpful: