wellness

Moving Forward with Our Mental Health

Nathan Smith10 Comments

What do you say when you feel like you have nothing to say? As the saying goes: “something is better than nothing.”

It’s no secret that lately, I’m not writing here as often as I used to (I’ve actually written about that specific feeling, funny enough). There are a million and one reasons as to why I haven’t been doing so. There is, of course, the *gestures vaguely everywhere* of it all. Living in the United States in 2025 is…well, I don’t actually know how to put it into words. At least, without going on a long rant. If I did, maybe I would have been able to write something here in the past few months! But I digress.

But it’s not just that (although truly, that would be enough). Every now and then, I feel like I’ve plateaued in doing this project. When I started My Brain’s Not Broken, I was in my early 20’s, and just figuring out myself and my mental health. I had more bad days than good, and I felt like the blog was a place to figure out those challenges in real time.

Look, I won’t pretend that everything is all sunshine and rainbows these days. But I am much more confident about how I handle my anxiety and depression, and am confident in the tools I’ve acquired to help me deal with those challenges. I’ve become stronger, more confident, and more prepared to talk about my own mental health, and talk about mental health with other people. I’ve written it countless times on this blog: we are stronger together, and I am so thankful that I can add my story and my experience to the millions of people who experience mental health challenges every single year.

So this is my re-entry to the space. I don’t quite know what I’m doing, and I don’t quite know what my goal is. Since I started this blog, the world’s changed a great deal, and the contributing factors to the mental health crisis in America (and around the world) are much different than they used to be. Smart phones, AI, politics, pandemics – it’s almost hard to even remember the type of person I was back when this blog was started.

But that’s part of why projects like this matter. Because beyond offering tips, tricks, and advice, this blog is a chronology of my life and the major happenings in it. It’s my journey with mental health; my ups and downs, the joys and struggles. It’s captured my unique perspective at specific points in time. There are posts I can turn to when I need a boost. Posts that I’ll look back on and say, I can’t believe I wrote that (hopefully in a good way!). And while I know that this blog has never played the role of an online diary or anything like that, it’s been fascinating to see the way I’ve grown and changed over the years, through what I’ve written.

Mental health – as a topic, a public health issue – as a community – isn’t the same as it was when this project first started. It’s morphed, it’s changed. There have been good aspects to this, and there have been bad ones. We’ve hit milestones and faced serious setbacks; in this moment, it feels like it’s more setbacks than successes. So I will continue to write, and share my perspective on mental health – the good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between. Whether that makes a lick of difference in the vast abyss of the Internet, I do not know (most likely, no). But as long as I’m in this corner of the Internet, you can count on this being a space that prioritizes those things. Because mental health matters. I matter. And you matter. And these are important things that I never want us to forget.

Mental Health Awareness Month 2025

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Well, here we are again – it’s Mental Health Awareness Month! Even though I feel like I say this every year, mental health is more important than ever. Whether it’s our own mental health or supporting others, there is a lot of awareness to raise and stories to share. So, as I do most years, I want to highlight a few campaigns to follow during Mental Health Awareness Month. Hopefully they resonate with you or someone you know; regardless of how you get involved, I hope this month is a helpful one in learning more about your own mental health, or mental health in general.

Mental Health America – “Turn Awareness Into Action”

Mental Health America is the organization that founded Mental Health Awareness Month in 1949. Since then, they’ve done an amazing job highlighting different aspects of mental health. This year, their theme is “Turn Awareness into Action,” which I love. The theme was chosen with the goal (Per Wikipedia) of:

“Celebrating the progress we’ve made in recognizing the importance of mental health — and challenging us to turn understanding into meaningful steps toward change.”

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times: awareness is important, but it’s just the first step when it comes to mental health. Turning awareness into action is a catchy tagline, but it’s harder than it sounds. You have to overcome so many challenges to get from awareness to action – things like bias, stigma, your own struggles, understanding the challenges…the list goes on. By emphasizing how we can take meaningful steps, MHA is driving change with action – a cause we can all get behind.

National Alliance on Mental Illness – “In Every Story There is Strength”

Since you’re reading a mental health blog this won’t shock you to read, but I still need to say it: I love this theme. I’ve always believed that each of us has a story when it comes to mental health, and every story matters. I’m glad to see NAMI agrees! From their website:

“In Every Story, There’s Strength,” highlights the resilience and diverse experiences that shape mental health journeys within our community. NAMI’s campaign celebrates the power of storytelling to fuel connection, understanding, and hope for those navigating their own mental health path.

Sharing our stories is brave. It’s important. It matters. There are no unimportant stories about mental health; you never know what sharing your story will mean to someone, what it could teach them about mental health or about themselves. There is power and strength in talking about mental health and the more we do it, the more we shrink the stigma and bring the conversation to the forefront.

SAMHSA – Mental Health Awareness Month Toolkit

What I love that SAMHSA (the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) does during Mental Health Awareness Month their toolkit! This toolkit that gives you everything you need to know and features vital information and resources about mental health. Key messaging, content, and messages of support just a few of the things inside, providing everything you need to raise your voice this month! SAMHSA’s work highlights an important connection between substance abuse and mental health challenges. This connection is often ignored or misunderstood, and one that all of us should pay more attention to.

What You Can Do During Mental Health Awareness Month

I won’t pretend that it’s an easy time to talk about mental health awareness right now. Things are changing faster than we can react to them, and they are constant. Everyone is just trying to stay afloat, and doing things like raising awareness and talking about hard things may not be ideal for you right now. That’s okay! Another good thing this month brings is a chance to check in. Whether it’s checking in on ourselves, our loved ones, or how those around us are taking care of their mental health, this month is a good time to try and reset on our approach to mental health and set us up for success in the days and months ahead. As I wrote this time last year:

“Whether we acknowledge it or not, mental health impacts us all. Mental Health Awareness Month is a time to shine a spotlight on this fact, to learn to live in a happy and healthy way.

And as always, that is the main takeaway. I’m sending positive thoughts and vibes to my readers as we continue to shrink the stigma and raise awareness on the topic of mental health.

What will you be doing to raise awareness during Mental Health Awareness Month? I’d love to hear it! Let me know in the comments.

How the 3-3-3 Rule Helped Me Manage Anxiety

Nathan Smith2 Comments

Over the years, I’ve learned many different techniques to help manage my anxiety. Some of them have proven to be extremely helpful (I’ve written before about the power of meditation and consistent exercise), while others have not always done the trick (I once tried to schedule a time for my anxiety – that was a long day!). Since I’m a firm believer that I should try something more than once when it comes to managing my anxiety, I try to make sure I give things a chance. While the first few times can be a little bumpy, sticking with some of these techniques have proven to be very valuable on my mental health journey. And that’s why I’d like to share more about the ‘3-3-3’ rule, how it’s helped me deal with anxiety, and how it can be a useful tool for you.

What is the 3-3-3 Rule?

The 3-3-3 rule is a popular grounding technique when someone’s experiencing anxiety symptoms. While some symptoms of anxiety are mental or emotional, symptoms can also be physical. It’s often those physical symptoms that can become very overwhelming when dealing with an anxiety or panic attack. When someone is feeling anxious, they can turn to the 3-3-3 rule to ground yourself and try to stop the spiral of anxious thoughts and feelings that might be happening. The specifics language isn’t always the same but generally speaking, it goes:

  • Notice three things you see around you
  • Identify three sounds that you hear
  • Move three parts of your body

That’s it! What I love about this rule is that it involves you using your senses, activating various parts of your body and encouraging them to slow down and take stock of the situation. There’s also no wrong way to do this. If three things you see around you are a floor, a ceiling, and a door, that’s okay. The act of identifying and naming those things can slow people down, taking them out of the moment they’re in. These actions are not meant to be complicated or solve your problems – they are simply meant to help slow down an anxiety spiral, or ground you in a moment where you might not feel all that present.

How the 3-3-3 Rule Has Helped Me

While I’d say this rule is relatively simple, it’s not always easy to put into action; you might not always know what’s going on when you’re experiencing an anxiety/panic attack. Thoughts might be difficult to put in the right order; confusion could set in. You might not feel comfortable in your own body, and everyday movements might seem foreign. And to be honest, that might not be the time for someone to tell you to use the 3-3-3 rule. Anxiety attacks have a tendency to make the simplest things seem like the most difficult, which is part of what makes the whole situation so frustrating.

I’ll be honest – when I’ve tried to do the 3-3-3 rule, I often fail in the fact that I don’t do all three steps. But it has helped me manage my anxiety in a big way and in fact, has changed the way I approach anxiety attacks. The point of this rule is not just to use your senses to ‘get out’ of the current moment; it’s recognizing that you might not be fully present, and it is trying to bring you back to that present moment. Maybe you name a bunch of items that are around you. Maybe you close your eyes and detect what you can hear or smell. Maybe you just tap your hands to your legs to remind yourself that you’re human. Over time, you might learn how anxiety attacks impact your body, and use this technique to confront those specific symptoms.

How to Put the 3-3-3 Rule to Use

Like most mental health techniques I’ve written about on this blog, there isn’t a wrong way to incorporate the 3-3-3 rule. The main goal of a grounding technique is to engage your senses, come back to the present moment, be within your body, and relieve yourself of overwhelming stress. However you do this (as long as you are doing this safely, it should be said!) is up to you. Ultimately, the 3-3-3 rule has had a tremendous impact on the way I view my anxiety, and I’d encourage anyone to explore it if they are struggling with anxiety symptoms.

Now I want to hear from you! Have you ever used the 3-3-3 rule to ground yourself? Are there other grounding techniques you’ve used that you’ve found effective? Let me know in the comments!

"Being able to be your true self is one of the strongest components of good mental health." Dr. Lauren Fogel Mersy

How to Focus on Mental Wellness During Winter

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We are currently in the middle of one of my least-favorite times of the year – winter. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of aspects of the wintertime that I love. But very small amount of those things tend to happen in January/February. Whether it’s seasonal affective disorder or a natural reaction to the lack of sunlight and generally cold weather, the wintertime can be difficult and lead us to being more prone to mental health challenges. At times like this, I often feel like I want to take my foot off the gas when it comes to my mental health. But in fact, this is actually the time of year when our mental health toolkits can do a huge amount of good. While I always recommend to try new techniques and strategies to improve your mental health, it changes a bit during this time of year. This time of year, I try to stick with what works.

Now what does it mean for something to “work” for us? Maybe it’s that something is easy for us to handle, or that it comes naturally to us, but I have a slightly different perspective. When it comes to my mental health, knowing what works for me depends on one thing above all else: what symptoms, if any, are being triggered in that moment.

When I say that my symptoms are being triggered, I don’t just mean how I feel in that moment. I actually take a step back and try to think about how my mental health is impacting me. This could mean running through the long list of symptoms of anxiety or depression. It could also mean thinking about if these symptoms feel new or are happening more than they used to. It’s a self-assessment of sorts, to try and understand the problem at hand. If you don’t understand the problem, how can you find the solution?

If I can figure out my symptoms, than it’s time to take the next step and attack them. Over the years, I’ve collected several mental health tips and techniques, all of which are solutions to specific symptoms or problems. With time, I’ve been able to identify the right technique for the situation, and am able to figure what’s needed in that moment. Am I always successful in doing this? Absolutely not. But I am doing better than I used to, and that’s a big win.

Whether it’s building mental wellness or combatting mental health challenges, this is a time of year where people are particularly prone to feeling worse than usual (and that’s not even factoring in *everything* that’s going on in the world today). While we should be paying special attention to our wellness, we should also remember what works for us, what heals us, and what helps us. The spring or summer might be the time to try something new or off-the-wall for our mental health. But if you know that reading a book brings you peace, or building a to-do list of little items to knock off will help you feel accomplished, please go for it. Little wins add up and this time of year, I know I could use all the little wins I can get.

Are there any special ways you take care of your mental health during the winter time? Do you think this time of year is harder on your mental health than others? Let me know in the comments!

"One kind word can warm three winter months." - Japanese Proverb

Five Ways I Build Mental Wellness

Nathan Smith6 Comments

As it is Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s a good time to share resources, tips and techniques about mental health and wellness. After a decade-plus of living with depression and anxiety, I am proud of how I’ve learned to manage my mental health challenges. However, chronic mental health issues can mean I sometimes go through my day on auto-pilot, which isn’t great for my mental health. That’s why I want to re-share a few things I turn to when I want to work on my health and build mental wellness. While there are a lot more tips and techniques in this area, these are five things that work well for me. Hope you find this information helpful!

Meditation

My journey with meditation has been lengthy, but I’m finally at a place where I can confidently say it’s part of my mental health toolkit. Meditation has grown in its importance and value in my day-to-day life, and I’d say there are more days than not that I get in a meditation session or two. What I enjoy most about meditation is that I’ve stopped seeing it as a solution to my problems, and more as a practice and way of being. While I wouldn’t go so far as to say meditation is the perfect solution for everyone (I’ve tried it more than a few times), it doesn’t hurt to try!

Exercise

You might already be aware, but physical exercise can play a big role in improving one’s mental health. While it’s important to make sure people have a healthy relationship with exercise and working out, I know that it can also be damaging to only do things when I have the proper motivation (thank you, depression!). Exercising, in any capacity, has the opportunity to give someone a brief confidence boost, raise the heart rate more than it might previously, and make us feel like we have accomplished something. There are many other benefits to physical exercise, but I’ve come to appreciate the benefits to my mental health and wellness more than anything else.

Therapy (There’s More Than One Type!)

Shocker, I know – a mental health blogger suggesting therapy. But I want to go beyond the generic “therapy is good for you” advice and take things a step further. Instead of suggesting that people look into therapy more, I want you challenge what your idea of therapy is. Yes, there is sitting in a room with a therapist, or on a Zoom call with a mental health professional; but therapy is so much more than that. There are several types of talk therapy, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectal Behavior Therapy (DBT), Mentalization-based therapy (MBT) and so many more. And even beyond that, there are types of therapy that involve activities and movement, going beyond talking and trying to meet the needs of other parts of who we are. I’m not here to say that therapy will solve all your problems, but it is often a safe place to figure out where you can start.

Getting to Know Myself

One important part of building my mental wellness is improving my relationship with someone very important — myself. We spend our entire lives getting to know ourselves, understanding who we are and how we see the world. But there are some things about ourselves that are hard to come to terms with. Maybe it’s part of our personality, or an experience we went through, but all of these things encompass who we are and why we act the way we do. When I think about my mental health challenges, I know that there are aspects of my personality don’t play a significant role in why I deal with anxiety and depression. But those aspects do make up the person I am, and understanding how I see the world helps me understand how it impacts me. I know this might sound a little off-the-wall but the more I’ve focused on understanding why I do things, the more I’ve understood my mental health challenges.

Reflection

Whether it’s through journaling, talking with people or simply sitting and doing some thinking, reflecting on my mental health journey has done some amazing things for my mental wellness. When I reflect on the journey I’ve had, I can see my growth. I can see the improvements I’ve made, and the ways I’ve gotten better at managing anxiety and depression. Upon reflection, I can also look at the ups and downs with a gentler lens that I’d been able to before. I’m not perfect, and I’m never going to be. But rather than chase perfectionism and “getting rid of” my mental health challenges, my reflection leads to gratitude. To being proud of who I am and what I’ve experienced. And it’s that attitude that has made me stronger, braver, and better equipped to face the challenges that I know lie ahead of me. And I know that upon reflection of what we’ve been through, many people reading this might feel the same way.

While these are important ways to build mental health and wellness, they’re far from the only ones! What do you do to build mental wellness in your day-to-day life, and what helps you work on your mental health? Let me know in the comments below!

Am I Taking Care of Myself? Am I Really?

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Do you ever feel like your day just isn’t going well? I know we all have good days and bad ones, but I’m talking about something different. It’s those days when everything feels a little off, or when every decision you make seems to be the wrong one. These situations are tricky because things could certainly be worse (as we remind ourselves), but that also doesn’t solve the confusing problem at hand. Unfortunately, anxiety can exacerbate some of these more challenging days, taking situations that are challenging and turning them into overwhelming messes (I know where of I speak). But I’m here today with a possible solution, and it’s relatively simple – drink some water.

Okay, okay; this isn’t my entire bit of advice. But it is the lead-in to an important question that, in my opinion, we don’t ask ourselves enough when considering our mental health. And that question is, what am I doing to take care of myself?

Look, I get it; there’s enough going on in our day-to-day lives, it’s easy to understand how some things can fall through the cracks. But taking care of ourselves does not have to seem as difficult, time-consuming or labor intensive as we think. One of the reasons I used to find this topic so daunting is because I thought about this in the context of ‘self-care,’ which to me meant something else entirely. I don’t have time to take care of myself in the ways I need, I’d think.

But here’s the thing: I was wrong. I thought that self-care revolved around a lot of the buzz words and activities we hear about today. Maybe I needed to take more mental health days, or visit a spa. I could do more yoga, or exercise in a way that made me feel good. And while all those things do contribute to self-care, I’ve learned that there are basic things that, when missed, make my day-to-day life more difficult. One of which is just…drinking water.

I remember when I wrote about how our health is more than just physical, and all the research I did into figuring out the different aspects of our health. Even though it made perfect sense at the time, putting it into practice was more difficult than I anticipated. It’s not that I needed to be actively thinking about this; I just needed to be more intentional.

There have been times where I’ve had a headache, or I’ve felt sad, and now I think to myself: do I just need to drink some water? Do I need a snack? A nap? I’m not saying those things solve all my problems (believe me), but there are times where my anxiety or depression can deter the other ways I need to take care of myself. I would guess that over the years, some bouts of depression were made more difficult due to my lack of taking care of myself in other areas in life.

Now before you get ahead of yourself, I want to say that this advice isn’t recommended as a singular fix, or for someone mental health crisis or facing recurring challenges. I didn’t come here to say that your depression will be solved with a drink of water and a little treat (unfortunately for us both). However, figuring out the best ways to take care of ourselves from one day to the next is how we can build a strong foundation for when times are difficult. With patience and practice, our self-knowledge can grow, and make us better equipped to face the next challenge when it comes to our mental health and wellness.

Reflecting on the Seven Types of Rest

Nathan Smith7 Comments

After writing my most recent post about misunderstanding the meaning rest, the idea continued to sit in my mind. As I wrote in that post, it’s clear that many of us know we’re not getting enough rest. Even the people who are getting enough rest feel like they aren’t. And in the way the world has changed in recent decades, there are more reasons than ever for exhaustion. But did you know just how many different types of rest exist? In the spirit of trying my best, I decided to look into these various types and share what I’ve learned.

The seven types of rest

The inspiration for this post came from a TED article titled “The 7 types of rest that every person needs.” I learned a lot of things reading this article, and not only that there are different types of rest! We tend to think of rest as inaction, as not moving or being alone. Whether that’s an American way or a Western way of thinking, that’s how I’ve seen rest portrayed in my life. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say resting is synonymous with sleeping – but actually, it’s much more.

Something this article opened my eyes to is the fact that rest happens when we have the time and space to do so. It’s difficult to rest if you’re stressed, don’t feel comfortable, or have pressing things to do. Removing yourself from situations is often seen as the optimal version of rest. That said, it was interesting to learn that rest can also involve enjoying things you love or being around people who fill up your cup.

While physical rest is important, it’s far from the only type. Other types of rest include mental, sensory, creative, emotional, social, and spiritual. What I love about this variety of rest is that each type of rest fills a unique need for people. It reminds us that we’re all different and that we need different things. As someone more introverted, focusing on sensory rest and social rest might be more important to me than other people. At the same time, some people value having more or less emotional rest than myself. We are all different, which means we have different needs.

Shifting how we view wellness

This lesson on rest not only helped shift the way I view my mental health, but wellness in general. There are so many ways we can take care of ourselves and in that same vein, there are so many ways to rest. Rest is more than sleep, and sleep alone won’t always give us the restoration we need.

It can be frustrating to learn that sleep isn’t always the answer, but I’m choosing to lean in. When you think about it, rest and mental health have a lot in common. Just as there is not one way to rest, there isn’t only one way to take care of our mental health. The more we learn, the more we grow, and the better equipped we are to get what we need. In whatever ways you rest, I hope you learn how rest can provide restoration and rejuvenation – something each one of us deserves.

"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." - Arthur Ashe

How I Misunderstood the Meaning of Rest

Nathan Smith3 Comments

It’s the wintertime, which means that we’re all tired, and the desire to do anything is as frozen as the weather. I often write about how challenging the wintertime can be for our mental health, and it happens every year. Like seasons, we go through our own cycles, reaching the same points across the calendar year. Even though January has become known as a time of resolutions and rebirth, I enjoy pushing back on that. To me, January is a time for rest. But despite feeling this way, I don’t think I’ve been going about it the right way. Reflecting on this has led me to a new way of thinking for how – and why – I need my rest.

Why do we rest? At first glance, this question has a simple answer: we need it to function. Rest has several benefits for our quality of life, for certain (sounds like a good idea for a future post!). But at the end of the day, humans need rest to be our best possible selves.

So, given that we all know how important rest is, why don’t we get enough of it? According to the results of the “Rest Test,” a survey completed by Durham University,

more than “two-thirds of the public would like more rest…the study also revealed that nearly a third of respondents said they need more rest than the average person, while 10 percent think they need less.”

Science Daily

This survey, which was completed by more than 18,000 people in 134 different countries, speaks volumes about our view of rest as a society. We need rest, and we’re not getting it.

Looking inward, I thought about why I rest. I know the benefits of rest. It improves my health (physical, mental, emotional, etc.); calms me down when I’m riddled with anxiety; and plays a vital role in my mental health toolkit. But here’s where I’ve been wrong in my thinking. Almost 100% of the time, I use rest as a tool. And while I think it’s a good tool, it shouldn’t only be used that way.

In fact, when I think about it, I’m often resting so that, when I’m done, I can immediately go do something else. This doesn’t foster a healthy relationship with rest, and it puts undue pressure on me. My rest needs to be “good” rest, otherwise I won’t be able to do what I want to do. I’m not resting for the sake of it, which can take away the power and benefits of doing it in the first place.

In this era of productivity and life-hacking, I’m concerned that rest often gets misappropriated. Why should I be looking to get the most out of resting my body? What’s the point of rushing through a process that restores my cognitive and physical health? What are we doing here?

I know a large part of this is because of the time of year. I’ve started to think of winter as my time of hibernation, and rest is key to that hibernation. But it’s an important thing to reflect on all year-round. As I move through the winter, I am hoping to reassess my relationship with rest – why I do it, how I do it, and what I’m trying to accomplish. In doing so, I hope that not only can I develop a healthier relationship with rest, but with myself.

I’d love to hear from you on this topic! How do you think we view rest in today’s world? Why do you think people aren’t getting the rest they need? Do you think you’re getting the rest you need?

"A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new." - Albert Einstein

A Reflection on Comfort Zones

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When you read the words comfort zone, what comes to mind? You might think of the way people tell us to leave them; you might wonder if you’re in one right now. A comfort zone might not be a place at all; it could be a feeling or a moment in time. It could even be a way of doing things you’re comfortable with, a routine or rhythm. Every year around this time, the idea of comfort zones pops into my head. I reflect on my own, but I also think about the idea itself. Why is it so important that we go out of our comfort zones, and why do we talk about it all the time?

As with many of the terms I talk about on this blog, I like to start with a definition. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a comfort zone is defined as:

“A situation in which you feel comfortable and in which your ability and determination are not being tested.”

Cambridge Dictionary

When I think about how often I’m in my comfort zone, I have a hard time coming up with a good answer. It’s possible (if not probable) that I’m in my comfort zone a majority of the time. It makes sense; people have their daily routines, and finding a rhythm in my daily life is important to me. For some people, the problem might not be that they’re stuck in their comfort zone; it could be that they can’t even determine where that is.

Sometimes, we don’t know we’re in our comfort zone unless we’re removed from it. And that removal can be abrupt, swift, and uncomfortable. But it’s also where we can find out new things about ourselves, who we are, and what helps us grow. It’s that growth that can provide meaningful change in our lives, that can move us to take charge and take action.

As we start the new year, it would be easy for me to write a post urging you to get out of your comfort zone. How it’s important to get out of our comfort zones, why it’s necessary for growth, and why enough of us don’t do it. But that type of post leaves out a key aspect of comfort zones, and about change in general. Creating change and getting out of your comfort zone can happen to you, just as much as you can make it happen yourself. Encouraging someone to ‘get out of their comfort zone,’ while helpful, puts the onus on a person to create change (which is hard to do).

When it comes to comfort zones, we all have different challenges to face. What might feel impossible for one person is easy for someone else. But the thing is, if you’re looking to get out of your comfort zone, I’d encourage you to look for the opportunities that will inevitably come your way. Because the truth is, opportunities to get outside your comfort zone exist all around us – we just need to keep our eyes and hearts open for these moments.

What is your take on comfort zones? Do you think they help people grow, or do they cause stress and create burdens? Why do you think it’s so important that we break out of them? Let me know in the comments!

"One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again." - Abraham Maslow

How Are You Talking About Suicide Prevention?

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How do you have a conversation about a sensitive topic? Where do you even begin? This month, I’ve written several posts about information and resources related to suicide prevention. I’ve been able to compile numbers and information that makes it clear that suicide is a public health issue we need to address as a society. But despite all this information – despite knowing that this is a problem that we need to face – I still have trouble talking about it. A lot of trouble, in fact. And that’s because, while it has improved, talking about suicide and suicide prevention is challenging. So what can we do?

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