Mental Health Moments: What We Learned During Our Mental Health Week
⌛ By Kaylin R. Staten and Isabella Mershon ⌛
During the week of May 24-May 28, Hourglass Media observed its inaugural Mental Health Week. This week’s intention was to take a much-needed hiatus from client work and everyday work life #behindthehourglass. While we love what we do, we wanted to practice what we preach and make our mental health a priority during this week.
Both of us wanted to give our takes on the week and what we learned about ourselves -- and our mental health -- during our Mental Health Week.
Here are our takeaways:
For a writer, I don’t do nearly enough writing. -- Kaylin
I never thought I would have this thought, but I don’t write enough. When I was younger, I prioritized my writing. I would come home every day from school, do my homework, and write in my journal. Sometimes, I would even write on a scrap piece of notebook paper while I was in class (mostly math class) and then paste it in my journal when I got home. I wrote every day, and now, I am lucky to write once a week. If that. While my life has gotten exponentially busier, I still have that same desire: to chronicle my life in an unfiltered, unbiased, authentic way. I feel like myself when I write, even if it’s just one page per day. During this hiatus, I wrote a few essays, most notably ones on mentorship and the pandemic. I caught up on my prompted journals (self-love, miscarriage, and gratitude) and worked on ideas and outlines for upcoming projects. I was able to also think of how more writing projects can fit within the scope of Hourglass Media. I would like to think writing takes up 50 percent of my work time, but it’s more like 20 percent outside of clients’ content writing and other types. That will certainly change moving forward, as writing is like breathing to me.
I was experiencing major burnout. - Isabella
To say the least, I normally stay busy -- I am enrolled in summer courses, I work another job that is an hour away from my home, and I work for Hourglass Media. I have been working this schedule since January, but it was not until this week that I realized how tired I was. The last time I was able to sleep this much was when COVID first came to the United States and we were in lockdown, so my body and mind appreciated the break very much. Going forward, I want to implement changes in my life to prevent burnout. Something that I did this week that I plan to continue was journaling at night before bed instead of scrolling through social media. I felt this switch helped me sleep better, and it gave me an opportunity to self-reflect. Also, I plan to listen to my body and its needs and try my best, if possible, to accommodate when needed.
When I am busy, I compartmentalize my emotions. -- Kaylin
This particular week came on the heels of a tragedy, so grief was a constant companion during the quiet times of this week. I realized that I don’t process my emotions until I fully free myself from all distractions. Of course, this can be challenging, as I try my best to avoid emotions at all costs. All of us do that, right? We don’t want to address the elephant in the room and to live through all of the ebbs and flows of emotions. When we allow ourselves to feel, whether good or bad emotions, we allow ourselves to fully live. When we compartmentalize our feelings for extended periods of time, we forget how to engage our emotional sides.
I revealed in a Harness Magazine article this week that I had a second miscarriage, and while I like to keep my personal life separate from my professional one, I know that isn’t always possible. When your company focuses so much on mental health, crossing into personal territory is the tool of the trade. I wear my heart on my sleeve (when I don’t suppress my emotions), so revealing this information coming out of Mental Health Week helped me continue the grieving process.
I had to suppress guilt for being “unproductive.” -- Isabella
During this week, many times I felt guilty for not working and/or doing something. I found myself thinking about all of the tasks I could be doing instead of enjoying the time to rest. I had to remind myself that it was okay to take this week for myself and that I deserved (and needed) a break. Something I have learned with my mental health journey that was apparent this week is that it is okay if you have “unproductive” days. Some days, I can wake up before the sunrise, go to the gym, do homework, and work. Other days, it is an accomplishment for me to get out of bed and brush my teeth. I try to go into each day with an open mind and not punish myself for the hard days. This week, I rested a lot. Instead of feeling guilty for not being productive, I am thankful for the time I had to recharge my batteries.
Boundaries are essential to my happiness. -- Kaylin
While I am not a natural boundary-setter, I realize that they are vital to my happiness and contentment levels. The initial discomfort often repels me, so I avoid confrontation at my own expense. When I communicate boundaries, most of the time people understand. During Mental Health Week, this was tested on several occasions. I said “no” to work for the majority of the week. Although I must admit, I did work a total of six or so hours split up on two different days. As I become a more seasoned veteran in the public relations field, I do not want to be on call constantly. Emergencies happen, and I am well equipped for those moments. I appreciated the introspection of the pandemic, and I established boundaries that will continue on post-pandemic. This includes setting clear, consistent working hours. While I am a mom, and my son takes up the bulk of my waking hours, I know I will have time during naps, weeknights, and weekends to accomplish company goals and objectives. I have felt like a rodent on a neverending wheel for most of my professional life. If I wasn’t working or achieving something constantly, then my value depreciated by the second. Now, I appreciate living in the moment. I actually did what I felt like doing in the moment. That spontaneity gets lost in overwhelm and the pressure I place on myself. I’m not naturally spontaneous, but I did enjoy going with the flow of the moment without the extra weight of overwhelm and stress.
Hobbies need to be a regular part of my life. -- Isabella
Usually, my life and schedule are so busy that I do not have time for hobbies. Any free time I do have, I spend it with my family and friends. This week, I had a lot of free time, and I felt very lost. I was not sure what to do with my time. I was able to do some things that I have talked about doing for a while -- working out consistently, journaling, catching up on the current season of Grey’s Anatomy, etc. This week made me aware that I do not prioritize doing things that I enjoy in my schedule; I do what needs to be done, and I do what others want me to do. For example, I have struggled with saying no for years. Even when I do not have the time, if my friends or family want me to do something with/for them I normally agree. This has caused a lot of anxiety and stress in my life because I end up taking on too much. In the future, I want to make time for myself to do what I want on my own terms. To do this, I want to work on setting boundaries and sticking to them. I hope this will prevent me from spreading myself too thin and allow time for myself and my hobbies.
I am a novice when it comes to relaxation. -- Kaylin
I will admit that I felt naked without a million notifications bouncing off my eardrums and hitting every device’s screens constantly. I do not feel natural when it comes to relaxation, as being on the go has been my go-to comfort zone since I was younger. But, you cannot have balance without relaxation. It’s the yin and yang of our everyday lives, with an interconnected, ever-flowing S-curve in the middle of light and darkness. The yin represents shadows, female energy, night/moon, soft, concealed, receptive, valley, and more. The yang showcases light, male energy, day/sun, hard, open, active, mountain, and more. I have been too much yang for a long time, always active, rigid, and focusing on movement. This break allowed me to explore the yin side of me by honing in on my introspection, resting,
During our break, we posted a series of journal prompts, one of which asked which element you are. I automatically answered that I was fire, with my natural Leo tendencies and propensity for heart-centered work and a touch of a fiery temper at times. I needed the water of the yin to help calm the fires of my overwhelm, schedule-oriented nature, and lack of relaxation. I will say that I enjoyed playing video games, writing, hanging photos in my house, and exploring new recipes (sushi, for one). I also relaxed a lot by hanging out with my husband and son, which is quite literally my favorite thing to do.
I appreciate my work environment. -- Isabella
This week was a change of pace from what I am used to. In the past, I have worked a variety of jobs. I have worked in: restaurants, higher education, a bank, and a bookstore. Each place of employment has had a different work environment -- some were great, and some were not. Out of all of the places I have worked, Hourglass Media stands out. I have never worked for a company that has prioritized my mental health and overall well-being as much as Hourglass Media and Kaylin do. This week grew my appreciation for my job at Hourglass Media and made me even more excited to get back to work.
Please note: These blog posts are not clinical, although we will provide symptoms and other information. These posts are based on my experiences with anxiety and mental health in general. If you or someone you know needs help, visit a website like Mental Health America to learn more.
Mental Health Moments blog posts are every other Tuesday of the month. Our CEO and contributors highlight what it's like to live with a mental health disorder and continue to fight the stigma through storytelling.
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Kaylin R. Staten, APR, is an award-winning, accredited public relations practitioner and writer based in Huntington, WV, with 18 years of professional communications experience. As CEO and founder of Hourglass Media, she uses her compassionate spirit and expertise to delve into the heart of clients’ stories. She is a recovering perfectionist, mental health advocate, wife, boy + cat mom, and Leia Organa aficionado. Connect with Kaylin on LinkedIn.
Isabella Mershon is a third-year communications student at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. She hopes that her drive along with her passion for leadership and advocacy will help promote success in her career and make a difference in the lives of those around her. Connect with her on LinkedIn!