Mental Health is #OnTrend
It’s no surprise that mental health is having a moment. Influencers everywhere are flocking to share their own mental health journey, tips and tools. The problem is that there is little substance nor acknowledgement that mental health care is not a one size fits all approach.
Today I’m talking about how to filter your sources and lean into the most trusted guide of all.
TOOLS
When was the last time you made a decision that was clear? Did you ask for advice from others? Did you Google for help? Did you read about what other people do for the solution?
If you answered “yes”, you are not alone. We are constantly looking outside of ourselves for the answers.
But what if you could trust that in fact you already know all the answers?
These days we are consuming so much information that our own inner wisdom can get suffocated. We look to influencers, the media, online quizzes, podcasts and yes, even therapists, to tell us what to think, eat, how to move, who to date and what career to have.
Gosh, it’s exhausting!
Establishing a clear line of communication to yourself is the best tool for knowing exactly what you need. Clearing the clutter that comes from anxiety, trauma, stress and depression can help. Some books that led me to this inner connection have been this one, this one and this one. I also am waiting for the audio release of this book, penned by one of my favorite late author’s daughters.
GRATITUDE
I believe that the gateway to happiness and peace is awareness.
Through awareness of our thoughts, behaviors, stories, belief systems, traumas and unconscious stuff we can identify opportunities to do things differently. I believe that awareness must be uncovered and unburdened; wellness habits alone cannot do the work.
One tip though for how we can practice daily awareness is through observation without judgement.
But really think about this concept: It’s snowing in April. We can observe the snow, see the white fluff landing on our flowers, notice the cooler temperature and put on slippers. We can then also lament the weather, complain about the change in temperature, worry about the plants and get mad at the situation. THAT is attaching judgement to our observations.
Catch yourself attaching judgement to what you observe and you will notice how often you rob yourself of present gratitude, peace and contentment.
INNOVATION
Due to the demand of mental health care right now as the world is going through a mental health crisis, I have been able to witness how very broken this system is.
Therapy has always been seen as something we do regularly…forever. And trust me, I find immense value in that set-up. I myself have seen different therapists weekly in many chapters of my life. Most especially now, there is a need to feel heard, have someone’s undivided attention and build strong attachment to others.
But there comes a time when we have to do the work to first be able to trust in our ourselves. There are and have to be more models where we can still have a regular therapist while enhancing our relationship to our inner guide.
I know that this field will innovate because it has to. We have seen during Covid how broken access to mental health care is and we do not have enough resources for everyone that needs help. I am not sure what this looks like yet but I’m excited to be at the forefront of figuring it out.
FEELS
If you’ve noticed I’ve been absent from these emails it is because I too needed a break. Turns out I’m human too and living through a pandemic while having a baby, growing a business, getting hit by a car and facing secondary trauma has a limit :) I’ll be okay because I’m not ignoring it and I have to make changes in order to better support myself.
I want you all to know that no one has it all figured out. I feel that we are all victims to a world that denies vulnerability, truth telling and real talk. In this avoidance of truth we all assume that we are the only ones struggling. We feel like a failure, quitter or weak for not being able to “push through”.
I’m here to tell you that you are not alone. Also, to check on your “strong friends”. Check on the ones you DO think have it all figured out. They probably do not. They probably need permission to get real.
As I said, we’re in a mental health crisis and drinking water, meditating, getting 8 hours of sleep or eating green smoothies isn’t going to fix it. And if someone tells you that’s what they are doing so you should too to finally feel better… no. It takes time, work, patience and self-compassion. It takes getting honest, vulnerable and going DEEP into ourselves, usually with some help.
Be gentle with yourself. And ignore Rachel Hollis. ;)
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