Life Interrupted: A Free Virtual Series on Mental Wellness
Each week HONOLULU and a panel of experts will tackle a new topic and share ways to cope during the COVID-19 pandemic.
How are you feeling lately? The abrupt realities of COVID-19 have rocked our world and our mental health. In just a few weeks, the pandemic changed our daily lives: where we could go, what we can do, who we see. And while we have adapted to a new normal, everyone—regardless of age, gender, career, financial standing or family status—continues to feel its impact. We’re worrying about threats to our physical health, our finances, our community.
HONOLULU Magazine, in partnership with the NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Hawai‘i, is proud to present Life Interrupted, a free, five-week virtual series on mental wellness to sharing tools that help us navigate these challenges. Beginning May 28, each Thursday at 1 p.m. a curated panel of experts will tackle a new topic, which will be livestreamed to the public. In these virtual talk-story sessions, our panel will answer crowd-sourced questions from attendees who have RSVP’d, offer expert advice, and share tips, coping strategies and more to help improve your emotional wellness during this time. Our sessions will be moderated by HONOLULU Magazine editor at large Robbie Dingeman with our colleague, sports director Bobby Curran of ESPN Honolulu stepping in for the sports panel. More resources will be available online from our experts.
Past Event Recap:
Life Interrupted: Moments
Thursday, May 28, 1 to 2 p.m.
COVID-19 is stealing away many of life’s treasured moments: our birthdays, graduations, weddings, May Day, Mother's Day, anniversaries, baby showers, reunions and more. We're missing so many once-in-a-lifetime moments, never to be celebrated again, as we struggle to learn new daily routines. What can we do to cope with many strong feelings: frustration, sadness, grief, anger? Can experts help us see the warning signs—both in ourselves and our loved ones—as we grapple with hidden issues of mental health?
Panelists: Dan Chun, Mestisa Gass and Robin Miyamoto
To view the recap video, go here.
Life Interrupted: Youth
Thursday, June 4, 1 to 2 p.m.
Within a matter of days, COVID-19 shattered the routines of our children, from preschoolers to college students. What will the immediate and lasting impacts be on their mental wellness? How do we best talk about what is going on in a way that helps us understand, being cautious but not too fearful? What are the early warning signs we should look for in our children? How do we help them as they miss their friends, their teachers, school, activities and as they miss out on many once-in-a-lifetime moments?
To view the recap video, go here.
Life Interrupted: Sports
Thursday, June 11, 1 to 2 p.m.
Whether we’re athletes, avid fans or weekend warriors, sports help us escape from our daily routines. We watch our children and grandchildren play in intramural sports. We cheer for our favorite teams as they duke it out on the field or court. We looked forward to the Summer Olympics. This new sports void is often listed as one of the unseen stressful effects of COVID-19. How does the community respond to a world without sports to engage us? And what about the athletes, the coaches, schools contemplating what the next season may bring. Moderated by veteran Hawai‘i sportscaster Bobby Curran, this installment is presented in conjunction with ESPN 1420 and will focus on the fallout for high school and college sports.
Panelists: Chris Chun, Colton Cowell, David Matlin and Anne Weese
To view the recap video, go here.
Life Interrupted: Couples
Thursday, June 18, 1 to 2 p.m.
The pandemic threw families, couples, roommates suddenly—and sometimes awkwardly together—as it disrupted our routines. Those who don’t live together had a different reality to figure out as authorities told us that COVID-19 meant we should stay at home. We’re facing fears over keeping our families safe, financial strain, childcare issues, balancing work and home life, and sometimes just figuring out how to share the same space in a way we never had to before. What can we do to support each other and to work toward harmony and balance?
Panelists: Mestisa Gass, Michael Broderick, Kainoa Kāneakua and Kathleen Rhoads Merriam
To view the recap video, go here.
Life Interrupted: Home
Thursday, June 25, 1 to 2 p.m.
Homes in Hawai‘i tend to be smaller than in other communities despite our close family connections. While COVID-19 has forced us to spend so much time at home, it’s preventing us from having regular get-togethers with our extended family, lunches with coworkers, pau hana with friends, seeing the people who often help keep us sane. Those who live alone may find themselves suddenly isolated with so many activities canceled. Those of us sharing our homes find ourselves constantly jockeying for computers, shared internet bandwidth, for the TV and, most importantly, for our space. And Hawai‘i’s high percentage of multi-generational homes can make that even tougher. How can couples, children, parents and grandparents learn to cope peacefully together while all sharing the same space for hours and days on end?
Panelists: Allana Coffee, Kanoe Enos and Trisha Kajimura
To view the recap video, go here.
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