Using a data informed approach, the resident Near West DIP-IN Steering Committee chose an initial focus of addressing life stressors that affect their community. One of the initiatives resulting from this focus is Breathing Through It, led by Near West residents and DIP-IN Steering Committee members from Haughville, Hawthorne, Stringtown, and We Care.
This initiative is created “by and for Near West residents” with the goal of helping lower stress levels through deep breathing and muscle relaxation exercises in a video format.
These videos were developed in partnership with Dr. Shelley Johns from IU School of Medicine Psychology and led by graduate students in the program. Residents from the Near West community demonstrate these exercises in the videos and exercises are filmed in both English and Spanish to engage a wider group of community members. If you live in the Near West community, you may have even seen flyers distributed throughout the community promoting Breathing Through It.
We encourage every person reading this update to try out a video to reduce your stress levels today. You will find that when you watch a video, you’ll pick up some breathing and relaxation techniques to incorporate right away in your daily life. And you can always watch them again when you feel like you need a refresher!
Just go to our DIP-IN YouTube page where the four Breathing Through It videos are currently displayed at the top of the page. While you’re there, don’t forget to subscribe to our channel and explore other content to learn more about DIP-IN.