MOLINE, Ill. — The Moline Public Library held its first program specifically targeting mental health Saturday Feb. 4.
It's called "In the Zone" and its goal was to provide people of all ages tools to alleviate stress and ways to deal with their mental health positively.
"You know the pandemic has really messed people up," Moline Public Library Director of Children Services Christina Conklin said. "People are stressed, anxious, they don't know how to handle emotions. And so we thought that this would be a good kind of entry level [program] and also a way to open up those conversations."
The event was free and over 200 people showed up for it. People, young and old, got the chance to hang out with therapy dogs, learn about bonsai trees, create artwork, receive a neck massage and blow bubbles inside the library.
"It's okay to say, I'm stressed, it's okay to say I'm anxious [and] I'm depressed," Conklin added.
The Moline-Coal Valley School District partners with the Moline Library every year for a family-oriented program and Conklin says this year's program was actually supposed to run last year, but planning for it actually stressed out everyone and so they postponed it to 2023.
"So this is not the end all be all program. [This] is just some things that people can do to help them kind of relax; destress. And we also wanted to make it a fun event."
Carolyn Mesick, a librarian with Moline High School says the program was needed because she doesn't think students have a safe space to go to relax anymore.
"The flood of electronics, social media, and something in front of you all the time- we don't take the time to get to know ourselves," Mesick said. "It used to be you would go home for safety, and now the home is open because the electronics come into the home. So there isn't that safe zone and we have to make that safe zone for ourselves."
Josie Bahen, a licensed therapist with UnityPoint-Trinity's Robert Young Center says it's never too early or late to learn how to handle stress.
"People through all stages of life are constantly learning and we have different stressors as we progress through life. So sometimes, we have healthy coping skills for things as children, but as we get to be adults, things change and it's different stressors, so it's always okay to keep learning and figuring out different ways of coping," Bahen said. "So for a younger child, I might teach them to smell the flower, allow the candle to teach them deep breathing."
And it's something 37-year-old Roberta Frederick is teaching her nine-year-old daughter Kaeleigh.
"We definitely talk about specific skills that we can use," Frederick told News 8's Collin Riviello, "How if we're feeling really stressed out or frustrated, figure out what's going to calm your brain down."
For Kaeleigh, it's dogs.
"When I have a bad day at school. When I come home and my dogs are so excited to see me, it helps me calm me down from all the emotions."
To find more events Moline Public Library plans to hold, you can tap/click here.