Goldie Hawn unpacks the “trauma” that gave her life a new direction

Goldie Hawn has been passionate about mental health and education for decades and took this advocacy to a new level in 2003 when she founded the MindUp Foundation.

The 78-year-old actress founded the mental health organization to provide more education in schools to teach children how their brains work and provide stress relief methods to both students and their teachers.

The star appeared Good morning America on Wednesday, October 9, to talk about their foundation and the work they did, and to explain what the moment was that changed everything for them.

Goldie told host Lara Spencer how she developed her idea of ​​“peace through understanding the brain” and “being more mindful,” and that too It all started with a national tragedy – the attacks of September 11, 2001.

“After 9/11, I realized I was deathly afraid of the atomic bomb. That left me in trauma.” she explained. “I assumed these kids would experience some level of that.”

“In this case, I created this program.” She continued, also clarifying that she considers herself a “creator” and not a “founder” of MindUp. “Why don’t children learn about their brains? Why do we ask them to use it and don’t teach them how to use it?”

MindUp's official website states: “Concerned by the increasing rates of anxiety, depression, aggression and suicide among children, Goldie Hawn founded her foundation and used cutting-edge scientific research to develop educational programs that support children's social and emotional development .”

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“Working with some of the best minds in neuroscience, education and psychology, the Foundation has developed MindUP – an evidence-based curriculum and teaching model for young learners.”

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It continues: “Our goal is to reach as many people as possible with our program – and to expand it globally to provide access to all learners. Together, we will create a more compassionate society fueled by hope and resilience.” While Goldie is founder and president, her daughter Kate Hudson serves as a member of the board.

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Goldie also spoke to Forbes about her 9/11 inspiration behind the foundation, saying, “It was really (when I looked at what our children's state of mind was like after 9/11 and felt like the world had turned out for always changing.”

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“I knew we were ready for entirely new ways of dealing with our 'psyches' and that our children were the beginning of the next generation,” she continued.

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“After 9/11, that’s when I decided we needed to develop preventive mental health programs in the classroom. That’s when I started looking at all the statistics and our kids literally started suffering.”

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“Twenty years ago we saw an increase in suicide rates among our children ages 10 to 15, and it was the third leading cause of death. Now it's more. If they are given tools from a young age, they can handle some of the emotional ups and downs that we experience throughout the day and in life.”