Linda DeVries had been practicing yoga for about 15 years when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. She and her husband, who has an exacerbation of asthma, stayed home as much as possible to avoid getting the virus.
The couple and their two children isolated themselves for most of six months, except for socially-distanced grocery trips and picking up books from the library each week.
"That took a toll on me, mental health wise," DeVries said.
That summer, she took virtual training to become a yoga instructor, which helped her improve and better understand her mental health. It also inspired her to make space for selfcare, not only for herself, but for others too.
Across the state, Texans have found ways to improve mental health care, whether that be with physical exercise, better practices, or awareness.
"There's a lot going on with mental health in yoga," she said. "One of the overt things that you would see is we are building community in a yoga class."
Now with her own yoga business located in Victoria, Restored Soul Yoga, LLC, DeVries instructs members and walk-in clients in several dance studios and spaces across the area.
"We also have the movement and breath work going on in a yoga session, so that works on a very physiological level," she said. "We know that increases serotonin and dopamine."
In addition to breaking a mental sweat, some of her clients practice yoga focusing on the physical exercise.
According to Dr. Deepu George, an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, physical activity – like yoga – only builds the connection between physical and mental health.
"As long as your head is attached to your body, we can pretty much make a clear case that the two are connected," he said.
George pointed out that physical symptoms – ranging from low energy, difficulty sleeping, irritability and loss of appetite – can be signs of stress and potential underlying mental disorders.
"Being able to check in routinely on yourself and being able to understand what's happening internally, is a good indicator of managing, or self-managing, your own stress and therefore your own mental health," he said.
Texas has had a challenge in managing opportunities for more accessible mental healthcare, partially due to geography.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, more than 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness. Nineteen percent of U.S. adults struggle with anxiety disorders. Fifteen percent of adults have a major depressive disorder. And more than 1 in 7 U.S. youth ages 6-to-17 have a mental health disorder.
A 2023 report from Mental Health America ranked Texas last in the nation for access to mental health resources. In 2024, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported that 246 of 254 Texas counties were designated by the federal government as "mental health professional shortage areas."
"There's a lot of land in Texas. It's very, very large state, so there's a lot of rural folks that need mental health access, and they don't have any access to a psychiatrist," said Dr. Barbara Kirsch, a psychiatric nurse practitioner with Texas Psychiatry Group in Houston.
Texas Psychiatry Group is a mental health clinic that treats for ailments such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse and addiction.
Like DeVries, Kirsch also saw how the COVID-19 pandemic affected mental health, particularly those in the workplace.
"There is an increased awareness of mental health issues that's led to more discussions in the workplaces," Kirsch said. "There's still a stigma with patients not wanting to open up in their workplace."
But one’s mental health isn’t just about occupation. Kirsch looks at other factors that contribute to a person’s mental health, like medical history and cultural background.
"To me, it's like a puzzle," she said. "It's like I get to put the puzzle together. So when I look at medical and psychodynamic and genetic and cultural values, it's a really cool puzzle to put together, especially when the patient gets well. It's really cool to watch."
Kirsch noted that Texas has offered more access for telehealth in recent years.
