Taking the ‘Daily Pulse’ of Southern Utah: New virtual therapy system offers inspiration

ST. GEORGE — In a time when people are struggling with mental health security, isolation and a bombardment of COVID-19 statistics, a local clinical social worker and therapist offers inspirational texts, podcasts and weekly challenges to elevate psychological well-being.

Iuri Tiago Melo is passionate about helping others during social distance protocols. Melo recently kicked off access to words and messages of affirmation and techniques through the Daily Pulse to deal with stress via virtual therapy provided through smartphones.

To access the site, text “start” to 435-292-5580. All of the information is confidential, and no other products are sold or offered other than the messages presented on Daily Pulse.

“The Daily Pulse is really meant to be a wellness tool,” Melo said. “It is meant to elevate your psychology, your mood and help us do better in life.”

The focus is on 365 days of thinking, feeling and being, he said.

The Daily Pulse targets these three pillars through daily texts and rotating weekly podcasts.

Iuri Melo free climbing to reaffirm how wonderful life can be, date and location not specified | Photo courtesy Iuri Melo website, St. George News

“One of the most popular things is that we offer question and answer podcasts,” Melo said. “People who subscribe can interact back at the end of every week. People throw out questions to me that I will address.”

One recent example included someone asking how to maintain an open dialogue with their daughter, giving her space to vent while still asking for respect to her parents. Another question asked how to draw away from bad habits and institute good habits and how to let go of emotional baggage.

Especially relevant during COVID-19 are questions on how to explore opportunities during adversity.

“Kindness is a tremendous thing during any time,” Melo said. “The concept of kindness is that is as much behavior as it is a perspective or internal philosophy.”

Ultimately kindness, he added, always offers a better outcome in life than selfishness or partisanship in the community or in personal relationships.

Melo says it is natural to want to protect one’s self and their family, but there is a larger responsibility to show kindness, empathy and reach out to help neighbors.

This is where the Daily Pulse comes in as a vehicle to remind people there is something more.

Daily Pulse offers words and messages of affirmation and techniques to deal with stress via virtual therapy provided through smartphones. | Photo courtesy of Daily Pulse, St. George News

“One of our goals is to increase mindfulness,” Melo said. “When I think of this, it involves awareness to see more, to see the things that are missing. It also means to be deliberate and doing things purposely and not on accident. Finally, when we are mindful, we do things that coincide with our highest values.”

When stress, fear and anxiety sweep over people, he added, people can forget who they really are and work against their best self.

Daily Pulse, Melo said, is a tool to encourage how to be one’s best self, and this is never more important than right now.

“We need to recognize that we as individuals are drawn to threats,” Melo said. “The brain operates under survival. The brain’s job is to protect the self.”

Whenever something like COVID-19 happens, it is natural to fixate on the threat, but the Daily Pulse attempts to break that cycle, he explained.

“Our purpose is to elevate,” Melo said. “Because it is a daily thing with weekly challenges, our goal is to help individuals physically, mentally and emotionally. It’s a holistic approach to encourage bringing good things into the mind, body and soul.”

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

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