The Power of Proactivity: A Mental Health Strategy for Success

Hello everyone and welcome back to the V Spot. For today's episode, I want to highlight the power of proactivity as it relates to your mental health. And so I've been thinking about this a lot lately because in lots of different conversations in lots of different places with different people, um, what's coming out over and over and over is that more than ever people are struggling with their mental health, right? So for a variety of different reasons, it's showing up and manifesting in a lot of different ways— anxiety, depression, panic attacks, um, A lot of different, you know, things are happening, and it got me thinking about this conversation pertaining to mental health awareness, uh, mental health in general. And so for those of you who know, May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and in the month of May on my platform, Intentional Healing and Wellness, I spotlight mental health all throughout the month. And for the last couple of days, I've been thinking about the fact that given how much people are struggling right now, I don't want to wait until May to really have regular conversation about mental health and supports and strategies. So what I've decided to do is officially, you know, unofficially, however you want to say, declare Mondays to be, um, Mental Health Mondays and get the conversation going on a regular basis beginning now, right? So this way, by time we get to May, we've talked about a lot of different things and we can sort of up the ante in a bunch of different ways. But I want to begin to share out content that shines the light on mental health and really works to, one, empower, two, empathize, and three, educate around mental health. Because as far as we've come regarding stigma, we still have a tremendous ways to go. And it's evident in the conversations that I'm having because people are sharing out despite the fact that they're struggling in so many different capacities. They don't feel themselves. They're struggling to focus. They're struggling to sleep. They're struggling to calm themselves. They're struggling to find motivation to do things. Some people are struggling to get outside. Other people are gaining weight. Some people are losing weight. It's showing up in so many different capacities. And yet when the question is asked, are you talking to someone, do you have a therapist in place, the answer is often— not going to say all the time— the answer is often no. And so, um, I'm wanting to bring this to the forefront because number one, I am a huge supporter of mental health support. I think that, you know, we do not hesitate to go to the doctor, many of us, when there's something physical going on. But when there is some emotional distress, there's a tendency to feel that we have to figure it out, handle it, toughen up, keep it going, you know. And I don't know if that ever worked, but more than ever, I'm concerned about that as an approach now, given how much has gone on in the last several years. And so, um, what I've been noticing is that people who never struggled, you know, with mental health, it's now become a struggle. And not everyone, but I'm highlighting some key themes that I've identified. And people who were once struggling are really having a harder time. And so we can't ignore, right, the rates the depression rates, the suicide rates. Um, young people more than ever are having a very difficult time— teenagers, middle school students. It is all around an issue, a crisis, I would say. And so I wanted to come to the platform and have this conversation now, right, in the month of November, to really highlight this aspect of proactivity as it connects to mental health specifically. Now let me share a few thoughts and sort of connect some dots here. You've likely heard, if you've been part of the Intentional Healing and, uh, the V-Spot community for a little bit of time, you've likely heard me talk about, um, this aspect of we are always choosing proactive wellness or reactive treatment. We are either choosing proactive wellness or reactive treatment. And the choice is always yours, right? And I can say for me, there's absolutely been times where I have been on both sides of the decision. I have been proactive and plugged some things in, in advance, you know, to have support in whatever capacity it looked like before it was needed. And I have found myself waiting, and when things, whatever the nature of it, took place, I would then be plugging in support. So identify where you are, what's your pattern, what's your tendency, right? And not from a place of beat up, just from a place of information. What is it for you? What is your tendency? Do you— are you someone who generally waits and then when you need to, you plug stuff into place? Or are you someone who is proactive about your, your wellness? And in this context, I want to focus specifically on mental health. So I was having a conversation last night which really inspired the— for me to go in this particular direction, because one of the things that I was highlighting, and if I leave you with anything in this episode, I want it to be this. For those of you who do not have a counselor or a therapist in place, choose a counselor or a therapist on a good day. Maybe that's today, right? When, when there's no major life events occurring and things are pretty good and you are having, you know, a smooth run. That is the time to plug a therapist or a counselor into place. Now let me explain a little bit more about why I strongly believe and will promote as often as possible this approach to your mental health. So let me create a picture for you. I'm going to paint a picture. Let's say you are going through whatever stressor, um, upset, you know, life throws a curveball and you're in the middle of navigating the territory, right? Which happens because as part of the journey we are absolutely faced at times with challenges and upsets and, you know, overwhelming experience. It's part of the human experience, right? And so, um, there's no such thing as a smooth, totally smooth experience through this journey we call life, because that's not how it goes. You know, um, life is a series of ups and downs. You know, it's a series of experiences. And I want you to envision in this moment that in the midst of, um, navigating a challenging moment You then have to take action to look for a counselor or plug a support into place. It's overwhelming and stress— and stressful if you do it in that capacity, right? Because the great thing about plugging support into place on a good day is that when nothing is really happening except for day-to-day happenings, you're able to meet with someone and start to build rapport, start to build a relationship and establish the foundation, you know, for your connection. And what's solid and proactive and advantageous about that approach is that by having a person plugged into place when everything is, is going well and everything is smooth, when shit hits the fan, for lack of better words, when something occurs, when there's a curveball thrown at you, when there's a bump in the road, when you get hit with a difficult life experience, you're able to share your feelings and talk about what's going on. And you don't have to start to call insurance if you're someone who has insurance, identify who takes the insurance, find a provider, go meet with somebody, do an intake, answer questions about your history. You don't want to do that when you're overwhelmed, when you're upset, when you're stressed, when you're navigating a bump in the road. That will become likely the reason you don't choose someone, because it will be too overwhelming and the decision will be made. Forget this, I'm not doing it. And that's often what happens. And then the result is that your mental health takes a greater hit because now you're navigating very challenging times and there's no support in place. And listen, I trust and believe that you all have solid support in your life on some level, whether that is family. For some of you, it may be friends, right? For some of you, it may be, um, you know, a community network of people. For some, it might be co-workers. Um, it's very different to lean on that level of support when you are navigating whatever bump in the road, right? There's advantage and there's benefit to being able to share where you are with someone who is not, you know, closely connected to you. They're not emotionally invested in your life process. And so there's a level of support and there's a level of listening and there's a level of, um, you know, empowering conversation that can happen by way of shining the light on some things, right? And, and that support in that capacity doesn't come from people that we know. It's a very different level of support, you know. Um, and so there's so much power and value in plugging into place on a good day today, perhaps, right? Um, someone who you can turn to and have as a solid support to lean on throughout your journey. You know, um, I think that counseling and therapy get this reputation that, you know, something has to be majorly wrong in order for it to be in place. Um, there's a lot of stigma and, and shame that often keeps people away from the process.. And I really wanted to bring this segment to the table to, uh, introduce a different perspective, you know, so that you are in position to win, right? Because when life strikes in a challenging way and you're in overwhelm or going through whatever you're going through, it's very difficult as it is to navigate that territory, let alone start the process of plugging in a therapist so that you can go to seek out support. And I know firsthand from myself, and I know from plenty of other people, that when that reactive treatment approach is taken, no course of action is taken because it's perceived as an overwhelm and an added layer of stress. And so, um, in 2022, when we're in a conversation of mental health and giving yourself the attention that you deserve, right? To have— I said this last night— you deserve to have a team, right? So maybe your primary physician, they're on your team. Maybe your counselor, they're on your team. Perhaps you have a coach, they are on your team. A fitness trainer, you know, a nutritionist. I don't know what your team consists of. It depends on the game you're looking to play and how you're looking to move through your life. But there's a, there's a power in being intentional about recognizing what supports would have, what supports would have you in position to win. And mental health and tending to your mental health from a proactive empowered, um, humanistic approach is always an approach that will support you in winning, right? Your experience of this life matters. Your feelings, your emotions, um, it all is important. And when it's not processed in a healthy way, it can manifest and, and turn into a lot of unhealthy things, right? There's lots of different things that happen. There's various addictions, there's various, um, mental health conditions that will worsen and develop and intensify over time, you know. Um, and why, from a place of being able to proactively support your, your, your wellness? And so I want to shine the light on the power of proactivity as it pertains to mental health to support you in getting in position to win. You do not need any major, um, thing to be going on to be a good candidate for therapy at this time, right? You are alive. If you're alive, and you are since you're watching this or listening to this, um, you're a great candidate for counseling. If you're human, you are, you are a great candidate for counseling, right? We— it's, it's a complex, um, layered, intense time. And what we know about things is that it doesn't go away. Stuff doesn't just go away. We could pile on distractions. We can attempt to bypass our feelings. We could attempt to ignore and push down. And nonetheless, at some point, it all arises. And so from a— if this is the game of life and I am serving as a coach in position to support you in winning, One of the strategies, one of the approaches I want to offer is to be proactive about your mental health today, tomorrow. Get a provider lined up. If you have insurance, go to the website and, and search for a provider in your area. If you know, call the number on the back of your insurance card. If you don't have insurance and you're in need of free support, hit me up and I could point you into a direction. But on a good day, the strategy and approach to support you in winning is to plug mental health support into place so that you are able to build a relationship, build a rapport with your therapist, right? Because not every therapist is going to be the person. And so you want to be able to meet somebody to be like, do I feel safe? Do I feel seen? Do I feel comfortable enough to speak my truth and unpack my stuff here? You might not in the, you know, and you might meet the person that, that you first schedule an appointment with and you're like, yeah. And so by being proactive about this process, you can land on, oh, this is someone that I can definitely, you know, talk to and be with. And when life happens and obstacles arise and setbacks occur and challenges come up and you're navigating challenging territory, you are in position with a solid support to help you through. You don't have to at that time do all of the steps that can feel like daunting and challenging and, you know, frustrating to get them into place. And so it's November and we have, you know, several weeks to close out 2022. Do not wait until January 2023 to give your mental health the, the attention that it deserves. Don't. And remember, while everything is okay and things are going smooth, it's the best time to take the action steps to plug someone into support and into, like, into place to support you. So that you are ready and in position to go. And so this is an invitation, this is a call to action, this is a gentle but firm nudge to start to give your mental health the attention that it deserves. And your feelings, your emotions, your experiences, your perception of things, your All of it, your human experience deserves to have a safe space to be able to air out, hey, this is a lot these days, you know, or I'm feeling stressed or overwhelmed, or I don't know, I'm struggling to sleep and noticing that I'm gaining weight or losing weight, or I'm having difficulty focusing and retaining, remembering, you know, things. I feel a little bit scattered. Like there's all of this occurring. And so I want you to be in position to have solid support around navigating all of that. So, um, if you are navigating challenging times right now, and meaning that there is something on deck that is occurring, a life event that has you, you know, struggling, um, and you've been putting off seeking out support because it feels overwhelming. And I want to invite you to, um, recognize that it will be worth it to plug support into place. And if you're not sure where to begin on this front, send me a message, right? Because, um, no shame and no shade if right now it would be reactionary for you to plug support into place. It doesn't matter. The point is that support gets plugged in. And so, um, in this game of life, I want to support and see you win. And I want to remind you and highlight the fact that you deserve to have a team. You deserve to have people in place that will maximize your performance and your functioning. And oftentimes that approach and that strategy gets to be made on a general random day. So consider this, if you've been waiting for a sign, consider this the sign. Take action, be proactive, and give yourself the support that you absolutely deserve. And if there's anyone in your life that you think would benefit from hearing this message, share it with them, right? Um, sharing is absolutely caring. Let folks know, hey, check this out, because it could be the thing that pushes someone to take action in their life. And, um, in conversations of mental health, it could mean the difference between life or death. That's how serious it gets. And so we want to make sure that we are having conversations not waiting until Mental Health Awareness Month to shine the light on all of the things. And so if you are already part of the Intentional Healing and Wellness Community, what you can expect to see is conversation on Mondays about mental health and, um, strategies and supports and techniques and approaches, uh, to, to, you know, shine the light on mental health and support through various aspects of it, name the pink elephants in the room when we're