Connecting through Storytelling...

Ask me how I felt about having the opportunity to speak at my former high school about my mental health journey on their very first social justice day.

The same high school where I first started exhibiting signs of depression and anxiety…

… I just didn’t know it yet.

I didn’t have the words or the proper understanding of what was happening inside me.

I didn’t know how to articulate how I felt.

I just felt alone.

To be able to share openly about my struggles — with students who may be going through the same things and • To guide them through some of the things that sometimes help me get to the other side and • To help them to feel that they’re not so alone — was a full circle moment that I won’t soon forget.

I am so grateful that these conversations are happening now in schools…

…that people like me are given the opportunity to get behind a mic and make a connection

…that, despite the fact that there is still a lot of work to do to reduce (and erase) the stigma around mental illness, we are moving in the right direction.

Here is a snippet from the end of my presentation:

"Taking time to focus on improving your mental health is work.

Remember: the work is in the mind and it is the mind that is sometimes working against you.

We have to recognize that every day is going to look different, we are all works in progress, and we are all just doing the best we can.

So let’s all offer ourselves grace…

• It’s not easy to break our habit of being hard on ourselves.
  
• It’s not easy to not beat ourselves up when we falter or take a few steps back.
  
• It’s not easy to not feel guilty when we take breaks for our mental well-being.
  

But here’s the thing: Mental illness is as valid a reason to take a break as a physical illness. 

If you’re heading toward burnout and you’re feeling especially anxious or overwhelmed, you need to prioritize taking breaks, taking care of yourself, and seeking support. 

My mental illness makes me question my choices every day. But by being honest with myself and others, by trusting my gut when I need a break, by moving my body when I can — and being kind to myself when I can’t — I’m putting one foot in front of the other on my path to overall mental wellness and self love. 

Simple, not easy."


🖤

(If you'd like to book me to speak at your school, business, or conference, please reach out)