Ending Stigma Together

Is mindfulness a regular part of your life?  Do you make a conscious effort to practice mindfulness daily? Are you even sure what I mean by mindfulness? LOL Let me start with a simple definition of mindfulness.  According to the Oxford Dictionary, mindfulness is defined as a mental state achieved by focus one on one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feeling, thought, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique. So, in a nutshell, it is fully paying attention to what you are doing in any given moment.  We get so easily distracted.  We get off track.  It is so easy to not listen to our mind, body and soul and this can lead to depression, anxiety and stress. To help you with your mindfulness practice, I have created a FREE 5 Day Mindfulness Workbook that you can grab HERE.

In 2018, I began to practice mindfulness regularly.  I started paying attention to each activity I did.  I stayed in the moment.  I was doubtful of this doing anything or being powerful as I had been reading, but I am so thankful I was proven wrong.  There is nothing that has helped improve my overall mental health than practicing mindfulness.  I now go through my day being mindful of almost everything I do, including my breathing.  When I begin to feel stressed, I realize I have drifted and bring myself back.  It has helped me be aware of my emotions and feelings faster which in turn helps me to do what I need to do in order to gain control of those emotions before they become to big and out of control.  And yes, sometimes that may mean getting to see my therapist!  

I am more calm and at peace than ever.  I sleep better than I ever have. And, my depression is under better control. Practicing a wide range of mindfulness activities has allowed me to create a more peaceful environment in my overall life.  The calm I can now achieve, also helps me make better decisions and to think more clear.  I wanted to share 5 easy mindfulness activities for you to try. I hope you try practicing mindfulness and discover the benefits it can have on your mental health.

*Mindful Breathing.  Breathing is something we do naturally.  It is needed for us to stay alive.  How many of us even think about our breathing until something goes wrong with it?  There is so much power with being mindful of our breathing.  First, if we pause and pay attention to our breath on a regular basis, we will become aware faster at times things are not going well.  Our breath changes when we get upset, angry, anxious or even too excited.  This can affect how our brain functions and makes decisions.  By being aware of your breath, you can get it under control immediately and in turn, manage your emotions better and keep them from getting out of control before you even realize it.  One way you can practice mindful breathing is by taking a deep breath through your nose for 4 counts.  Pause after you fully inhale.  Then, slowly exhale through your mouth for 4 counts.  Repeat this for 1 minute and feel your body begin to relax.  I do this everyday, throughout the day.  

*Positive Affirmations.  I talk a lot about positive affirmations.  They are powerful. They work.  But you have to say them consistently!  Take some time and write just one, simple affirmation today.  Then, save it on your phone’s lock screen or write it on index cards and laminate them so you can carry it around with you.  Say your affirmation 3 time a day and say them out loud. Yes, out loud. Your brain needs to hear the words.  For some easy tips and guidelines on how to write a powerful affirmation, you can grab my positive affirmation guide freebie HERE.  How you write them matters.

*Visualization.  There are a few ways to practice visualization but the one easy way that you can do anywhere is a progressive visualization exercise.  Sit or lay down somewhere comfortable.  Close your eyes. Then, start at your head and work your way down every part of your body.  Feel how each muscle feels.  Are they relaxed or tense? Relax each muscle and each body part as you move down your body.  Do this until you get to your toes.  Imagine you are floating and feel the lightness come over your body.  You can also find guided exercises on YouTube if you want someone to talk you through it. 

*Journaling.  I love to journal.  I try to journal daily first thing in the morning.  You can either just write your thoughts and feelings you are having each day or you can use journal prompts to guide you.  One journaling activity I do daily is to write down 3-5 items for which I am grateful that has occurred in the last 24 hours.  This really helps me to keep things in perspective and reminds me even on my toughest days, that I am very blessed.  You don’t need a fancy journal.  You can use a .99cents spiral notebook!  Stay in the moment as you are journaling.  Don’t let your mind wander. Focus on how you feel about what you are writing.  

*Be Creative.  Being creative is a great way to stimulate a different part of the brain than most of our day to day activities tend to use.  It is also a very good mindful way to get out of the stress of life and focus solely on a fun activity you are working on at the moment.  Some of my favorite creative mindfulness activities are, coloring, jigsaw puzzles, playing with play-doh and writing.  Creativity is a great way to release stress and is an easy activity to practice mindfulness with because you will most likely be enjoying yourself.  

With each mindfulness activity you do, you are training your brain to stay in the moment when you need to do so.  As you begin to practice it regularly, over time, it will become natural and automatic and you will begin to realize you have more and more peace filling up your heart, mind and soul.  I hope you take time to give it a try.   I’d love for you to join my new private Facebook Group, Self-Care and Mindfulness. I’ll be hosting a 7 Day Mindfulness Challenge next month. Head on over and request to join and start your mindfulness journey. You can find the group HERE.

Don’t forget, you can grab my FREE 5 day Mindfulness Workbook HERE.

My book, Depression Survival Guide, if available on Amazon HERE.

Ending the stigma that society continues to place on mental health is my life’s mission.  It always has been, but I have become even more passionate about it the older I get.  I have always been very open about living with depression and the fact I battled anorexia and recovered.  I never felt the need to hide it and have never understood why society makes us feel as if we do.  

When we have the flu, we call out sick.  Since COVID-19 has started, we hear all the time, “stay home if you aren’t feeling well”.  How many employers would be ok if you called out sick because we were feeling depressed or anxious and needed the day to regroup?  When someone has cancer, the meal trains start, the fundraisers soar and people rally with prayer and offers of help.  Now, I’m not taking anything away from the horrors of cancer. Cancer sucks.  However, did you know that suicide takes more lives than cancer each year until the age of 35?  Take a look at the chart above. Not only is suicide preventable, but the depression that leads to it can be treated.  Mental health stigma is killing people every year and we can all do something to change it.  When someone is struggling with a mental illness, or their child is struggling, most people hear crickets.  There are no meal trains, no one lining up to support the family, and most people simply don’t know what to do or say.  We need to work to change this.

We can all help end the stigma of mental health that is hurting so many.  Of course, most of us who live with depression, anxiety or other mental illnesses will never even contemplate suicide.  Most of us will live our lives for their entire life span.  But, stigma can still hold many of us back from living those lives as fully and productively as we possible could.  How many people need therapy but can’t afford it because our health insurance doesn’t see it as crucial as physical illness?  How many of us have struggled with our mental illness that led to us losing a job? Or relationships? Or, potential earning income?  Society as a whole just doesn’t see it as critical as many physical illnesses so the same level of respect and care is not given.  

We all need to continue to work towards changing this. I wanted to share a few steps we can all take to help to end the stigma.

*Talk, talk and talk some more.  Be open.  Be honest. I have always talked openly about my depression.  It can sometimes catch people off guard.  To me, it is no different than having diabetes, heart disease or any other chronic illness, yet, people treat it this way.  Many of us are embarrassed or have shame.  That’s why I have always felt it was up to those of us comfortable to share to do so regularly.  We can also simply talk about mental health as we would any other topic.  Start the conversation.  Keep the conversation going.  Talk to your loved ones, your friends and your co-workers.  Just keep talking. The more we talk, the more discussing mental health part of “normal” conversations in day to day life.

*Read and listen to everything you can and share it with others.   Educate yourself. The more we know, the more we can educate others on mental health.  For many, it is a lack of education or information that leads to their fear and ignorance of mental illness.  One thing we can all do, is to become more informed so we can help dispel the falsehoods around mental health. 

*Shut ignorance down. There is still so much ignorance around mental health.  Jokes are made.  People say insensitive things and use hurtful words such as, crazy, insane or wacko.  There are memes that float around social media.  When you hear or see ignorance about mental health, speak up.  Educate the person.  Ask them to stop and explain why it is offensive.  Many people simply don’t realize how hurtful their words can be because for so long, society has deemed this kind of thinking as acceptable.  

*Support and encourage those around you who are struggling.  When you know someone who is struggling, support them.  Call or text them. Offer to do some errands.  Take them a meal or some cookies.  Ask if you can walk their dog, watch their kids or if they want some company.  Check in with them regularly and remind them they are not alone during their tough time.  

*Get involved. Volunteer.  Attend the yearly Out of the Darkness walks, NAMI walks, or other events to help bring awareness to mental health and ending the stigma.  Support agencies that support efforts to help those with mental illness.  Become part of the solution.

These are just a few suggestions on ways we can all work towards ending the stigma that society places on mental health. Together we can make the world a more accepting and understanding place for all of us to not only live, but thrive.  Imagine how wonderful that will be!

Check out my free Positive Affirmation Cheat Sheet HERE

Be sure to grab a copy of my book HERE

Self-care is a process. It requires practice and dedication if you want to make it stick. Don’t get discouraged if it takes time to make this new concept a part of your life. It’ll get easier, and you’ll probably find yourself craving your self-care activities so much you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them. However, there will inevitably be times that are busier or more stressful when self-care may go by the wayside. If you find that happening, be sure to follow these tips to continue to take care of yourself going forward. 

Follow Your Gut

Sometimes we get so busy that we find ourselves living on auto-pilot. That’s only natural during hectic times, but it’s critical that you make an attempt to listen to your instincts during these times to know whether you’re in need of a boost. When you start to feel especially frazzled or fatigued, that’s not a cue to double down and work harder. It’s your body and mind telling you that you need a break. Listen to them. Along these lines, look for other unusual signs that things are off balance with you such as irritability, eating poorly, losing sleep or indulging in bad habits. These things are telling you to take care of yourself. 

Schedule It In

A trick that helps some people to fit self-care into their schedules when life gets busy is to actually write it in their date book or calendar. Treat your self-care commitments like any other appointment or event. Write down the time you’ll start and finish. Try to be specific about the activity you’ll engage in. Doing these things will increase the odds that you’ll actually follow through. It’s easy to put yourself on the backburner when life gets crazy, but don’t forget that these are the times you need self-care the most. 

Create a Plan

Developing a self-care plan is crucial to maintaining your well-being. I shared some ideas in a previous blog post about how to do this. Let’s review a bit, as it’s so important to have a self-care toolkit at your disposal during life’s busiest and most stressful periods. Keep your emergency self-care list and your care package together so they’re easily accessed when you need them. You also make sure there’s a list of trusted contacts to call when you might need some self-care encouragement and accountability. Your tribe can provide the motivation and support you need to take care of yourself. 

One final word. Take time to assess your self-care needs regularly. This will also help to keep you on track. Ask yourself once a week or so if you’re giving yourself enough time and attention. Listen to your instincts. Make adjustments as necessary. Self-care is an ongoing and evolving process. It requires your constant attention. 

Be sure to tune in tonight in the FB group at 8pm eastern time to recap the week and for the announcement of the winners!

Lots of people get the wrong idea about self-care. They think they have to be deserving of it. They feel like it’s splurging to do something good for yourself. It can seem extravagant. I’d like to change that mindset today. Self-care is something you deserve. Everyone does. It benefits us all, along with those around us, when we put our own well-being at the forefront. You can’t take care of others when your own well-being is suffering. Let’s take a look at some free and low-cost ways you can care for yourself. 

Take a Time Out

Sometimes just a little bit of alone time is all you need to feel rejuvenated. So why not give yourself a time out? Lock yourself in your room with a nice cup of tea. Listen to some quiet music. Just sit still and think for a bit. It’s a luxury we all can afford.

Waste Some Time

We often feel pressured to be productive all the time. Being busy is a sign of worth and accomplishment. However, it really doesn’t have to be that way. Just kicking back and doing nothing is important to recharging our batteries. Let yourself have some down time to do something frivolous like binge on your favorite Netflix show, take a nap, sit by the pool or just sit and pet your cat. You deserve it. 

Do Some Writing

Even if you don’t consider yourself a writer, journaling can be a very therapeutic activity. Jotting down what you’re grateful for has been proven to be beneficial to well-being. It can also be energizing to simply do a brain dump in which you write down all the things that are floating around in your head. Jotting down dreams for the future might inspire and motivate you to take action. Give it a try. 

Reach Out to Someone

Socializing is a crucial part of self-care. Even introverts benefit from interpersonal connection. Humans aren’t meant to be isolated. Pick up the phone and call a friend you haven’t talked to in a while. Sit down and Skype with your favorite internet pal. Meeting up in person for a walk together or a cup of coffee is even better. Connecting to others might just provide the spark you’ve been missing. 

Change Your Perspective

A change of scenery can be a wonderful source of renewal, and it doesn’t have to cost a lot. Just heading out to walk in your neighborhood might help when you’re feeling stir-crazy in your home. If you’re able to afford it, a low-cost staycation to a nearby location for a day or two is a fun way to switch things up. You’ll be surprised what this change of perspective can do for you. 

While these are just a few of the countless ways you can indulge in self-care without spending much money, perhaps they’re just the jumpstart you need to begin exploring this concept. You truly do deserve to spend time, energy and effort on your own well-being. 

Be sure to join us tonight at 8pm eastern time in our Self-Care FB group HERE where we will discuss how your self-care went today.  Each day I email you a challenge and post it in the group so be sure to join to get the most out of this 7 day challenge.  

Grab a copy of my book, Depression Survival Guide: Your Path To A Joy-Filled Life, HERE.