Unintended Consequences of Change
May 25, 2023
Which days are the strongest? Saturdays and Sundays. The others are “week” days.
This is Mental Fitness Fridays. May is Mental Health Awareness Month.
Mental health is health. Stigmas are fading and awareness is raised. As a result, we have made it a priority and taking care of it is an expectation. We are running into a problem. (Hope no one gets hurt.)
Less stigma and greater awareness gives more permission to seek help. But something happens that suggests there is something leaving people feeling like every day is a weak day.
When I read the book “What Made Maddy Run” I really understood that we are conditioned to evaluate ourselves against a filtered lens. We always have, but now there are more places to compare. Mental health gets on this "perfect" list.
Expectations have been raised, but the knowledge and action for the basic skills is behind. Instead, we numb like a dentist — food, drugs, alcohol, sex, binge watching are novocaine.
A mirage appears. Everyone is doing it better but me. The alleged answer: promote an image that you are doing all the should be’s, but now you can't ask for help. It would shatter the image for you. You go around and around like wheels on a bus. You are in a loop.
It’s like when I ordered a chicken and an egg at the same time. I'll wait to tell you what comes first. Some numbing happens. It's OK to not be OK. Instead, use these basic mental skills when you are struggling.
The first one is a deep breath. Check in on others. Talk. Move and exercise. Get outside. Grieve. Rejoice. Love. Connect. Set boundaries. Be self-aware. Create something. Journal. Listen to music or birds. Ask for more from our leaders. Get Involved. Volunteer. Hold a door for a random person. Listen to yourself and to others. Don't see criticism as a conviction. At a minimum, be nice.
Let's change the conversation to mental fitness. Share our emails and share us on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.