5 Lessons I’ve Learned During My Mental Health Journey

I’m no stranger to talking about mental health. I opened the door into the private rabbit hole of my mind in an op-ed piece in May 2018, and I haven’t stopped advocating for mental health issues since. Today is World Mental Health Day, so I am feeling a natural sense of reflection for my own mental health journey. I usually save these posts for every other Tuesday’s Mental Health Moments blog entries. Today is a celebration of where all of us have been on our mental health missions and where we will continue to go.

Mental Health Moments: Five Wabi Sabi Mantras To Help Alleviate Perfectionism

Wabi sabi is the Japanese art of embracing imperfection, whether it’s at home, work or inside your own head. The term comes from “the Japanese words wabi (to be alone, not to be bothered by other things, to simplify) and sabi (the beauty of passing time).” Here are five mantras to help me ease the weight of perfectionism.

Mental Health Moments: Panic Attacks Versus Anxiety Attacks

Many of us encounter panic attacks and anxiety attacks due to our particular brand of mental health disorder or issue. For me, anxiety masquerades as perfectionism. Although the terms are often used interchangeably, panic attacks and anxiety attacks are two different occurrences. What are the differences?

Mental Health Moments: What Are Unrelenting High Standards?

Your mind races, but at the same time, you can’t capture any one specific thought. Thoughts blast past all logic at record speeds, and you’re caught up in moments of your own personalized “What If” game. We may not be able to get rid of them completely, but these thoughts and unrelenting high standards can be managed.

The Positive Sides of My Anxiety

This May (and National Mental Health Awareness Month), I finally began telling my authentic story with anxiety and my love/hate relationship with it. All of who have a mental health disorder know the downsides to it. I’ve focused on the negative in order to know where my behaviors and belief systems were born inside my brain. Now, it’s time to acknowledge and celebrate the gifts my anxiety has given me in my almost 30 years on this earth.