We’re keeping the calm > chaos theme going, and perfect timing because... May is Mental Health Month!
We talked last week about yoga being a bad-ass workout, but also a workout with mental health benefits, and I know for me, that’s something I overlooked for way, way, way too long. So this week I’ve got a few other things to share that have helped me and my mental health!
This is probably not new news to most of you, but here in the states, we think working non-stop, doing it all, go-go-go (ie the #hustleculture) is the only way to live + be successful. And I have absolutely played that game - partially because it’s the nature of working on campaigns (which I did for quite a while) and partially because it’s kind of how I’ve always been (and still am).
BUT, I’ve been working on it 🎉
It was an unexpected loss in my family that really made me get serious about this journey. It started because after my father unexpectedly passed away, I felt like 💩. Total 💩. Tired, gaining weight, pain all over, so my doctor sent to me to all the specialist and did all the tests. And guess what, I was fine. So I started to think maybe the loss, the non-stop work, and all the other things on top of that I’d been doing for years were finally catching up with me.
I was right. The stress was starting to show up physically, and I was not about it.
So I started by taking a pointer from my dad and digging into mediation. He always told us we should try it, my sister and I were not having it in our younger years, but now have this reminder of one of his favorite mantras always with me in case I need a little reminder🧘♀️
And now we have everyone from celebrities to scientists shouting the benefits of taking as much care of our mental and spiritual health as we do our physical health.
Last week 64 major companies (including Lyft, Dropbox, Rent the Runway and Giphy) encouraged their employees to participate in the National Mental Health Break.
And Mental Health America made updates to their Mental Health Month theme this year, for the first time ever, including just this:
Spiritual practices like meditation are linked to increased levels of feel-good chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins; and decreased levels of cortisol and noradrenaline, which are associated with stress.
If you really want to take meditation to the next level, you’ve got to try sound healing meditation. Kate Coppola is an IA native, living in LA, but comes back to grace us with her amazingness. She describes this practice as “allowing your body to activate its own natural healing system, all the while, balancing both sides of the body on a cellular level, bringing you to a total state of harmony. Call it nourishment for your neurons! Acupuncture through sound and vibration.”
And remember you can always just take a few minutes to throw on a mask or cucumbers and practice some self-care however you want because it’s good for your skin AND your mental health!
Let’s take a cue from Nicki & Bey and start spending a little more time feeling ourselves so we can all be feeling better: