Earlier this week, I wrote about how everything we do serves a purpose when it comes to our health and wellness. I focused on physical exercise and my therapy sessions, but it applies to all areas of life. Each activity can serve a different purpose, and each moment can help us in a different way. Today, I want to elaborate further on that point because something else needs to be shared along with it. In the same way everything serves a purpose, there’s not one thing we need to do that will “solve” our mental health. There’s no magical elixir that will solve all our issues. It may sound obvious but it’s often forgotten, which is why that’s the reminder I want to share in this post.
Continue readingEverything Serves A Purpose
I’ve written about it before, but the way different aspects of our health connect is fascinating to me. I often think about the connection between my physical health and mental health. To be honest, the main reason I focus on my physical health is because of the way it helps me manage my mental health. But today, I want to talk about the unique purpose that certain activities have. Everything serves a purpose when it comes to our wellness, and it’s important that we acknowledge that.
Continue readingClosing Thoughts During Suicide Prevention Month 2022
Every year when I reach the end of Suicide Prevention Month, I take time to reflect on what I’ve learned this month and how that helps my work in suicide prevention going forward. Some years I learn more than others but either way, September is a valuable month of awareness and reflection. While there’s so much that’s being done in the way of suicide prevention, this month is also a reminder that there’s more work to do.
Continue readingBreaking Down Mental Health Terms: What is High-Functioning Anxiety?
Up until a few years ago, I hadn’t heard of the term high-functioning anxiety. To me, anxiety was something that got in the way of functioning. It made decisions more difficult and tasks harder to complete. The idea of a high-functioning version of mental health challenges is new to me, so I decided to do some research. Today on the blog, I want to break down high-functioning anxiety, what it looks like and how we can manage it.
Continue readingBalancing Helplessness and Hopefulness
There are many symptoms of depression that are frustrating to deal with. Among them, hopelessness is one of the most difficult ones to manage. Hopelessness is a feeling that can sneak up on us. It can be disguised as so many other ways of feeling, and it can be hard to distinguish between other emotions. But to me, living with depression is a constant balance. On one end is the persistence of helplessness; on the other, the optimism of hopefulness. Life can be a constant back and forth between the two, which is what I want to talk about today.
Continue readingAmbition And Depression
They gon’ love me for my ambition… – Wale
I’ve always had an interesting relationship with the word ambition. As long as I can remember, I’ve been told ambition is something you need. It’s hard to meet and necessary for success. Without ambition, we’re all floating around without a care in the world. I’ve always thought myself to be an ambitious person. I have dreams of what I want to do, what I want my life to look like. But some things get in the way of ambition and today, I want to share about one of those things.
Continue readingGetting to Know Ourselves Better
Getting to know ourselves is a lifelong journey – full of twists, turns, surprises and disappointments. What doesn’t matter to us one year could be monumentally important the next, and so on and so forth throughout our lives. I used to think that learning new things about myself was more cinematic. Time would slow down, and my moment of clarity would spring forward. But as with many things in life, perception and reality don’t always link up. We don’t always choose to learn new things about ourselves, and dealing with that can be tricky.
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Breaking Down Mental Health Terms: What Is Self-Stigma?
I was writing a post a few weeks ago when I ended up using a term I rarely think about: self-stigma. It’s not that it’s a foreign concept to me, but I don’t think I’m very comfortable using the term or understanding it well when it is used. That’s why I decided to do a little research to learn about self-stigma, how it shows up in our lives and how we can deal with it.
Continue readingHaving Conversations About Suicide Prevention
After working on this blog for nearly five years, I understand how difficult conversations about mental health can be. There’s a level of nuance that must be applied to these conversations. Everyone is unique, which means that the way we handle certain issues and problems is also unique. That’s why, even though they can be difficult, conversations about suicide prevention are important – and each one of us can help.
Continue readingHelpful Resources During Suicide Prevention Month 2022
CW: This post discusses suicide and suicide awareness.
Last week was the beginning of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. This month is extremely important because it’s a chance to have honest, open discussions about suicide and suicide prevention. More so, it’s a good time to share resources for those who may need them, as well as people who are looking for information to distribute this month. These are resources that I’ve found in recent years, and I’m re-upping them to give people as many resources as possible.
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