THE EXCHANGE CONTINUES CONVERSATION AROUND THE PANDEMIC’S TOLL ON MENTAL HEALTH Nearly a year into New Hampshire’s COVID-19 emergency, stress is a constant presence in the lives of our residents, on our social systems, and in our communities. NHPR’s weekday talk show The Exchange will air a three-part series in February and March to convene important conversations about mental health, featuring experts, conversations with community members, and resources to help. Stress and mental health struggles are faced at the personal level: family finances or job loss or anxiety; work/life balance issues stemming from remote or hybrid work; balancing child care and schooling or taking care of older family members or an extended circle of family and friends; plus the everyday vigilance to try to stay healthy through the pandemic. Social isolation and the feelings that grief, loss or anxiety bring to our mental and physical health are just part of the equation; wider world issues of political uncertainty, change, and our ongoing national conversation about social and racial justice are also impacting people’s feelings and states of mind. Through three hour-long conversations,