No Valentine...No Problem? Self-Love At It's Best

This time of the year comes with mixed emotions. Some people enjoy this day as they are immersed with love, receiving gifts, candy and chocolate. It can be a dream for someone but let’s face it, this is not everyone’s reality. Love is amazing…don’t get me wrong but not everyone receives this amount of love, on the day we know as Valentine’s Day. So do not allow social media or any media outlet make you feel bad for spending this time solo.

I must admit it’s nice to be thought of…I would be lying to you if I said it wasn’t. But we must remember that no mater who we are with, single, married or in a complicated relationship, it’s imperative we care for ourselves and provide self-love.

The subtitle for the magazine this month is Normalize Self-Love and I intentionally titled this because people attend to put themselves last. You make sure everyone else is okay, checked off all the boxes in making sure everyone else feels good…but what about you? It’s not until something happens or you are depleted before you think about the last time you put yourself first. And let’s face it, making yourself a priority is different for everyone.

We attend to think we have to lavish ourselves, (I mean if that’s what you need then lavish on!) but it does not have to take all of that. A nice pedicure and manicure is good and it feels great to receive some type of service, but what are you doing on the inside? What are you doing mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, to get yourself together? When was the last time you collected your thoughts, explored your dreams, crossed off things from YOUR goal list and not your routine TO DO list, (we are only in February, its time to check in on those resolutions) or quality some time to yourself to just be? A time where you are not doing pick ups, drop offs, grocery runs or sitting in the waiting room, while your child attend extra curricular activities after school. Let’s face it you deserve to show yourself self-love, everyday and most importantly on Valentine’s Day.

3 Ways To Show Yourself Some Self-Love

Believe it or not, some people do not know how to be alone. They bounce from one relationship to the next, avoiding themselves. It’s time for you to get to know yourself, we are evolving human beings and we have to check in every once in a while. What time is better than the present? You can learn a thing or two about yourself and by doing this, it will allow you to figure out what you will or will not tolerate in future relationships, (this includes friendships and family relationships).

1. Write down your feelings: awareness is important. When we are aware of our emotions we can do something about it. This is something you do not want to hide, journal how you are feeling to get a baseline of where you are emotionally.

2. Get Active: write down activities you like to do to boost your mood. This can go a long way, a walk outside or a exercise video has a way of boosting your mood and making you feel good about yourself.

3. Pamper yourself: Buy yourself some flowers, who says you have to wait for someone else to do it? If candy is something you like, add that to the shopping list. Light a candle and here’s a tip on candle smells: lavender helps with mood, pine scents help with stress, citrus smells helps with energy, and peppermint helps with concentration.

Remember this: no one can make you happy. If we depend on other people to make us happy, we are in for a rude awakening. Be intentional with adding yourself to your calendar. It can start with once a week and increase to an hour a day. It may sound impossible at first, but think of things that you are doing that are considered time wasters, scale back on those things and introduce these three activities to get your personal time started. If you need any assistance at all, be sure to check out our magazine here for tips. Let me know how this goes for you in the comments and I look forward to the well needed discussion. And remember no Valentine…no problem! Show yourself some self-love.

5 Reasons You Are Stressing & What To Do About It

This country is unpredictable, as a matter of fact the world is. The gun violence continues to increase making it challenging to want to attend events, or send our children to school. Police brutality continues to happen, and every time you go on social media you see others living their best life, making it hard not to compare the moment they decided to put on social media, to the reality you are living at that moment.

So many things causes stress and the environment has a lot to do with it.

Stress comes in so many forms but one thing I try to remember is this…stress is here to STAY. When you are over one situation, here is another one ready to throw punches. It’s no wonder people are overwhelmed, tired, and appear to have more unproductive days than they intended.

If this resonates with you I want you to know that you are not ALONE!

The Rundown On Why You Are Stressing

1. Demands are increasing: you want to do all the things at once, lose the weight, make more money, start a business, travel, and raise children that everyone will admire and adore.

2. Watching and reading the news more: you do not want to miss out on what’s going on, therefore you dive into reading or listening to what others are saying about whatever is going on in the world. Bad news spread and get a lot of views online, making it visible on our social media feed and depending on the content it can trigger us providing more stress.

3. No Clarity: some individuals are just existing. You are doing the day to day stuff and that’s it. When you do the same thing over and over again expecting different results…that leads to stress because our expectations are not met.

4. Feed into the pressure of social media: everyone is selling everything online. If you look for a product, the next thing you know, you will see that product on your feed. You start to see other information regarding that product or other companies selling it. Top things many people see on their social media feed are exercise programs, personal growth (lack of something), and food consumption. If the issue is relatable to you it becomes easy to put yourself down and/or purchase the product thinking it will be an instant life change.

5. Limited support: this is critical, support goes a long way. Anyone who is successful at anything has a support system or someone they can talk to and help with strategizing.

   What You Should Do

All things consider please note change starts with YOU. Not from your parents, children, or even your best friend. They all can encourage you however, if you want to change its vital to reflect in order to produce the change you need to feel better about yourself.

1. Demands are going to be there: but it is up to you to prioritize what matters most. Each night before you go to bed, make a checklist of what you want to do the next day. Be sure to prioritize them after you write it down. The next day check off the things you complete, and whatever you do not get done, save it for the next day.

2. Take note of what you are paying attention to: how are you spending your time? Ask yourself: is this encouraging me or depleting me. How do you feel after engaging in this activity? If it is not helping you grow, write down how much time you spend doing this, and write down what you would like to invest your time in instead.

3. Get clarity: doing the exercise stated previously will help you gain clarity of what you are doing day to day. What short term goals are important to you. Once you write your short term, think of some long term goals. Also write down what do you want to get out of life, include what’s important to you, faith, family, business, etc.

4. Get on a routine: limit the time you are on social media and other news outlets. Be strict about it. If this is challenging start in increments, cut yourself off for 20 mins and then increase the time to your liking.

5. Find your interest: once you figure out what you like search groups where you can be a part of. Start with your church or programs in your community, find activities and explore. A great place to start is Eventbrite, look for local affairs in the area on Facebook or ask neighbors what’s about upcoming events on the Neighborhood App.

Routines are important, we know to get up to go to work everyday, or get up and take the children to school. This is important, we speak so heavily on routine with our children and even our spouse, but we have to be on board and do the same thing. Do some self-reflection and start a detox from all the things that are not serving you and making you a better person. When we start living for ourselves, it can help us manage stress.

If you are having challenges working through life stressors seek a therapist, sometimes past experience can hinder us from moving forward. Therapy can help unpack trauma by identifying unresolved issues which will help us move forward in life. If you are hesitant about receiving services, check out our magazine. We provide resources and conversation starters in addition to support from others who have experienced similar challenges. You can start here for digital or visit here for our soft cover copies.

After doing this activity let me know what worked. What did you find out about yourself? I would love to know!

5 Effective Ways To Improve Your Self-Care

The awareness of mental health is being talked about on the news, radio, and social media, even celebs are coming out to say they are not okay. The awareness is good and it makes us ask ourselves, how are we really doing? This question is important and if you are thinking about this, you may wonder…what’s next.

Sure you have heard about self-care, that has been one of the most used words other than quarantine since 2020, but just because you heard it a lot doesn’t mean you know what it is and how to do self-care…effectively.

What Is Self-Care?

This is a question you may or may not have asked yourself.

The practice of taking action to preserve or improve one's own health: - Google Search

So what does this mean: it means taking care of yourself. Putting your health first and being in tune with how you are feeling. Think about things that make you happy, it could be from tasting your favorite candy to seeing your favorite family member. These energy boosters have a way to help us heal, getting us back to productivity, and even helping us feel accomplished.

5 Effective Ways To Improve Your Self-Care

Check-in on yourself. Be sure to write down what you need or what you think is missing. This will require self-work and I do not think this is something you have to know overnight. Take a few days to really think about the last time you were happy, what were you doing at the time? How can you get back to that? If someone was in your life that was making you happy, and they are no longer around, think of the things you did that made you happy whenever you two were together. Work on returning to that person you once were when you were happy.

Start a routine. Having a routine helps with consistency, which leads to results. This is another thing that will not happen overnight, and you may have to play with different routines to see what is best for you. You might find that working out at night is better than working out in the morning. Or writing down your goals at the beginning of the week is better than the end of the week.

Exercise. This does not mean you have to get a membership, lift heavy weights, or join some intense workout group. You can start by walking, engaging in YouTube video workouts, or a stretching video before you go to bed. It is important we move our bodies to avoid stiffness and moving our bodies also becomes a mood booster.

Saying No. This can be hard for a lot of people, especially when it comes to family and close friends. It’s IMPORTANT to say no to the things that you are not comfortable doing, or just don’t want to do. Do not put yourself on the side for something or someone else. Your performance will not be as effective because you will not be able to give your best self. It’s hard to do but just start off by saying, “I am not in a space where I can do_________ for you.” True family and friends will understand.

Sleep. Make it a priority. It is common to be up past bedtime, tying loose ends. It is not uncommon to wait for the children to go to bed and get started on our work. We need just as much sleep as our children. If going to sleep at an adequate time is a challenge, try going to bed 20 minutes before you typically do, set an alarm, and whatever is not done, make it a priority to do the next day.

We All Need To Read This

Take these steps into consideration and be sure to make yourself a priority. Do this for the next 30 days and see how your mood changes. When we put ourselves first we are productive, and effective, and can be there for others. They say you cannot pour from an empty cup and the more I hear this the more I understand the importance of making myself a priority.

Reading is also another great way to put self-care into practice. Take a good book, magazine, or even an audiobook to learn new things and put your imagination to use. Be sure to check out our magazine to learn more ways to care for yourself, find support, and engage in conversation starters. If you are not a fan of paper, check out the digital content and download the latest version or any of our versions today.

Let me know how these activities help you put your self-care into practice. As always I am rooting for your…let’s continue this conversation in the comments.

Signs You Need A Mental Health Day

Taking space from your job, family and everyday obligations are IMPORTANT. We work ourselves to the core until we explode, and typically the majority of us are running on fumes. I would not be surprised if you too felt as if you were running on autopilot.

For years you would see people produce so much work with little rest, I feel like a decade ago people were team NO SLEEP. It was work work work and I am glad to see society for some of us is shifting the gears on what success looks like. When we put our needs last we continue to do ourselves a disservice. If we don’t make US a priority then who will? Your boss, parents, or children? Most of them (if they are not aware) may not see that you are two seconds away from exploding. YOU cannot take care of anyone from an empty cup, so in moments when things become overwhelming, it’s time to take that Mental Health Day my friend.

What is a Mental Health Day?

It’s a day you primarily deal with your emotional well-being. You use this time to focus on relieving stress, enjoying time doing something you like and most importantly relaxing. It’s a day to reset in which is something we all should do.

So when is the right time to take one?

There is no specific day when you should take a mental health day, the important thing is that you take one, especially when your stress levels are at it’s peak. So whether you want to schedule it during the week or the weekend is totally up to you. However, I would say one of the most rewarding times to take one is when you feel is best. For some people there are days that are less hectic than others, for instance on Tuesdays you may not have to run errands and the office may be a little less busy compared to a Friday workday. The reason I say this is because your return back to the office may not be as erratic if you plan accordingly.

But let’s be clear, do not think you have to schedule your Mental Health Day, sometimes we wake up and the desire to get out of bed becomes challenging. So do not feel bad if you have to call your job and say, “hey I just cannot come into the office today.”

signs that display you need to take a mental health day

• Low mood

• Difficulty staying on tasks

• Inability to finish common tasks

• Showing signs of distress

• No desires in doing anything ex: like cooking, washing dishes, getting children ready for bed

• When you are feeling tired, restless, and frustrated at EVERYTHING

This is for your emotional health and no one is responsible to make sure you take your mental health day but you. So when that day comes, let it be all about your well-being. It’s easy to check your email for a few minutes or answer a call regarding work, but it’s critical you allow that to take a back seat as you focus on your emotional well-being. I CAN NOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH

If you are not sure if you have been showing signs of frustration ask those you are around the most. Their honesty will let you know how you have been appearing to them lately. If you do not know how to approach them you can simply say: “Hey,…so I have been thinking about taking a Mental Health Day, do you think this is something I should do? Have I been a little tensed or shown frustration more than usual?” These questions alone can spark a conversation to help you along your wellness journey.

moving forward

Now that you are aware of a Mental Health Day and know when to take one, it’s time to plan for it! Think of your schedule for the next five days, or even the next two weeks if you have to plan further ahead and put MENTAL HEALTH DAY on the calendar. As the day gets closer you may even feel some excitement about putting your health and wellness first. Let me know how it goes for you! And if you want more tips for your wellness journey check out one of our issues, we have soft-cover and digital versions available for you.

I am excited to see how it turns out for you! Keep me posted!

Support Is Important

Bringing awareness allows individuals to educate themselves about a particular disease, cause, or movement. Mental health awareness month has become widely known throughout the years and personally, I think it has helped promote education on self-care along with not judging people who have mental health challenges.

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. We personally may not know how people are feeling who have suicide ideations, however, it’s critical to be present and let them know you care. Some people believe because they cannot “fix” someone’s issues, they cannot be supportive or any value to someone who is experiencing suidcide ideations. Negative thoughts can spiral down rapidly and when people feel alone or don’t have the support they need, it becomes challenging to fight negative thoughts.

How To Find Support

It’s important to have your support system and things to do when you are not feeling your best. Those days may come but having support can help and encourage along the way.

1. Identify your support system now: this is the best time to sit and think about who you can reach out to for support. You do not want to wait until you are going through a tough time, because support may not be what or who you are thinking about, especially when if you are in a crisis. A support person is something you talk to often and share your thoughts and values. Think of it like this…who do you call when you hear good news? That individual can be identified as one of your supporters.

2. Who do you talk to on the regular? Our friends and family have a way of knowing our behaviors better than we do. They are the first person we talk to when something happens. If something is not going right, they can more than likely feel it. Have a conversation with them and let them know you view them as one of your supporters. Don’t expect them to play this role without having that conversation first…this is important!

3. Inform your supporters how to best help you: this goes along with the conversation, tell your supporters what you want them to do if you are not feeling your best. Some people like to be left alone, others like to be engrossed amongst their friends. Provide your supporters with any contact information they may need, for example, your parents, spouse, or even therapist. If something is not right your supporter can reach out to other close friends of yours so they too can keep an eye out. If you have a therapist, your friend can give your therapist a heads up or provide any concerns they may have.

It takes a village and we all need support. At times we have challenges identifying who we can call our supporters, however, these tips are helpful and I encourage you to follow them. If you are looking for more ways to find support please know our magazine helps by providing content from clinicians, individuals with lived experience and others who make mental health a priority. I would love to know how do you find your support system? Have you used some of the tips I provided in this article, share your comments below as it may help someone in the future.

If You Are Afraid You Are Not Alone

Here is the problem:

There’s so much violence and shooting going on in the world that it’s making people numb. We don’t know what to do or how to have conversations especially when it comes to public shootings.

Sadly mass shootings have been common here in The United States. The shooting that took place in Uvalde, Texas at Robb Elementary School, leaves so many family and friends of the victims distraught. The survivors are dealing with this tragedy reliving the moments as it’s talked about on the news and other media outlets. There clearly needs to be a plan in place regarding gun laws and consequences for those who break them. Personally, I hope that I am wrong but I don’t know if there’s going to be a change in gun laws, as it appears the government talks around it and point fingers instead of taking accountability. How many more shootings are we going to deal with? How many families will have to continue to suffer as they rethink the last time they said bye to their loved ones?

It’s hard to know what to do as a parent, a lot of people on social media express their sympathy and condolences. As well as being afraid to drop their child off at school. This is a trying time and it seems as if we are living in a world where hurting is more common than healing.

So where do we go from here…

• Understand the media will talk about this story a lot and if there are times when you cannot handle it, be sure to take a break, grant yourself some grace and provide yourself with some self-care.

• Take a moment for yourself, no matter what that looks like, it’s okay to cry, process this tragedy with a loved one or most importantly talk to a therapist.

• There is no way to prepare for a mass shooting no matter where you are, yet it is good to talk about understanding your enviornment and if you do not feel safe somewhere…leave if possible.

• Surround yourself with support. They don’t have to have the answers but knowing there is someone you can lean on goes a long way.

Here’s a conversation starter:

How To Talk To Kids About School Shootings

Helping Children Cope With Frightening News

If you do not know where or how to find support understand that support changes all the time. Just because one person is in your life for a period of time does not mean they will always be there. They do not have to have the answers and honestly, support is just showing up and being dependable.

If you have challenges with having support understand that we provide that here. Be sure to check out our magazine and read about how others are dealing with stress and challenges that they are faced with in this world.

Our goal is to end the stigma and allow tough conversations to be had in homes, schools, and in our communities.

Was this article helpful? If so share it and let us know how helpful it was in the comments below.

HerStory: Celebrating Women's Month

Photo by Unsplash

We come in all shapes, sizes, ethnicities, ideas, visions and purpose. I love being a woman; the way God created us and giving us the ability to do extraordinary things with our bodies. We as the other sex have come a long way, from being in the back to moving our way to the front and onward. You see women in higher positions, making executive decisions and empowering the younger generation to live and do what they are destine to do in this world.

I enjoy this time of year because it is all about embracing us as women. This is the time where people all over the world take a moment and celebrate. Acknowledging what we have been through and giving us credit and rightfully so. I thought growing up becoming a woman was going to be the greatest thing ever, being on my own and calling the shots. Little did I know life came with challenges and will continue to do so as life goes on. However, its all about embracing and going through those challenges that makes you a better person. We go through life lessons and it teaches us about ourselves. It provides another layer of skin and gives us another level of experience we can build off of.

For the mothers, wife’s, sisters, best friends, aunties, step-moms, mother-in-laws, single women etc. just know you are loved. This month is for us and for whatever you have going on in your life know that it’s temporary and not to rush through it but take it all in.

To the younger generation understand this: your future awaits and be sure to take some time to invest in yourself, your dreams, and your ambition because you too will be providing direction to a younger generation.

How We Celebrate Ourselves

1. Make Yourself A Priority: no matter what that day or time looks like be sure to put yourself first at some point. Work will always be there, friends will understand, and family members will just have to be patient. Whatever that thing is that you like to do, spend time doing it, whether its dancing, listening to music, taking a bath, spending time in nature, reading a book etc. DO IT. You owe that to yourself.

2. Learn To Say Mo: you don’t own anyone a yes all the time, this includes our children. If you don’t have the capacity or the strength to do something don't commit to it. The first time might be hard especially if you are use to saying yes to someone, but understand that this is something you can do!

3. Treat Yourself: we can be so consumed with obligations and daily routines that we forget to treat ourselves. This could mean buying that outfit or item you have been eying for some time. Or calling up a friend and going out to dinner or simply taking yourself out and enjoying your own company.

There will be days where we want to relax and not do anything and that’s fine. Do not get so consumed in chasing money that you lose sight on your health. You are important in this world and we have to remind ourselves that we are. Our magazine have many articles with tips and ways you can celebrate yourself, there are articles about stress management, how to talk about issues, and even wellness activities you can engage in. Be sure to click here and check it out. So remember to celebrate yourself this month and every month. I look forward to your growth and let me in on any suggestions that you do when it comes to putting yourself first. I would love to hear it!

Here Are 4 Ways To Embrace Our Blackness

Photo by Unsplash

We have come a long way when it comes to embracing our blackness, just think years ago a lot of us wanted to change our looks to fit the status quo. Now we embrace who we are and set the new standard. Black people celebrate being black all year round, however in February, this country acknowledges our culture. Some companies may have special products in the front of their stores to celebrate Black History Month, stores like Target and Bath & Body Works just to name a few.

It’s hard for any other culture to keep a blind eye to what we have overcome over the last couple of decades. I admire the challenges and how we persevere despite the closed doors or disgruntled looks people give when they doubt our doings. Our ancestors are so dope! They paved the way and instilled grit in a lot of us. However, this does not come easy, being turned down moment after moment, doors being shut in our face, and the judicial system constantly reminding us that we don’t matter is quite frustrating. So how do we do it, well I can tell you one thing that I do when I am feeling doubtful or discouraged. I extend self-love to myself.

Self Love Is The Best Love

1. Reflecting: I reflect on the most challenging thing I had to do and thus far. I think of the steps I took and how motivated I was in not giving up. This encourages me to move forward and know that if I was able to get through that challenge, I can get over the next one. Challenges help you become who you are, and it reminds you of why you started doing that thing you are so passionate about.

2. Affirmations: reading, writing and saying affirmations is key. At times, I say the affirmation, others times I put I am…in front of whatever affirmation I want to say to myself. We say I am tired, I am sick, or I a frustrated. Change the narrative and put I am in front of the word and it helps change the mindset.

3. Planning: putting myself on the schedule is key. There is a saying that states; if you don’t choose a day to rest, your body will choose it for you. This is critical, I’d rather pick a day I want to rest as opposed to the latter. Pencil yourself in because no one will do it for you. Schedule a day where you don’t answer calls, you watch tv, read a book or go for a walk, whatever it is, allow your mind to rest. If you find a hard time to pencil out a day to do these things, pencil out 20-30 mins or even an hour if possible, you deserve it. We have a tendency to think we are running this race and have to do things immediately, but who says that you have to do that? This is your life and you can go at a pace that is convenient for you.

4. Reward Yourself: grant yourself some grace. Take a moment and buy that thing that makes you smile. It can be something as small as a treat or a major gift you had your eye on for months. You deserve it, don’t wait for someone to reward you, you should be rewarding yourself.

Most importantly make sure you are getting YOU together. We can’t pour from an empty cup and although people may be depending on us, they deserve our best selves. Heck, we deserve our best selves! Not every day is going to be great and yes we will have our down days, but when we put ourselves first it feels good. Here at Helpful Living Magazine, we are a resource people can dive into and learn how to better themselves and others around them. How and what conversations to have and most importantly how to listen and how to be heard. These are all important factors and we have the resource that is needed. Find out more here, start taking action and learn how to embrace yourself. If you don’t do it then who will?

We All Benefit From Mentors

For as long as I can remember mentors have been a great resource for many youth in our communities. It’s such an honor to have mentors in your life, and to be honest you can never be too old to have one. I am glad to know there is a month dedicated to them, mentors take time out of their day to help someone along this journey called life. I remember The Boys & Girls Club so vividly, the commercials and the relief of parents when their child was assigned to a mentor.

I wasn’t fortunate to get a mentor during my youth but I did have one during my first year of college. She help me navigate campus and understand the ins and outs of college life. It’s critical to have someone who can identify with what you are going through, to give you advice.

As a content creator and Founder of Helpful Living Magazine, I have learned to appreciate advice from people who have been where I am striving to go. There are many platforms where we can connect and network with people now more than ever before. There’s social media at its best, like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and let’s not forget Clubhouse. There are ways we can connect with people we want to learn from, and it’s important we take advantage of the accessibility and reach out.

How To Find A Mentor For Your Child- Youth Mentors of the Pee Dee

It is also a critical time for our youth to engage in mentoring programs. There is so much going on in our communities all over the world. With everything that is going on it can lead to confusion as an adult, I can only imagine how our youth feels. It’s imperative for us to involve ourselves as well as our children into mentorship programs. It can be hard to know where to start but reaching out is always a good place.

3 Things To Consider

1. See what your child is interested in. This can help navigate what direction you want to go in choosing a mentorship program. You want to make sure the mentor can align with your child’s interest.

2. Reach out to your network. When you are at your child’s extra curricular programs talk to parents and see what they know. A lot of parents are open to sharing their resources because they understand what it’s like to seek help.

3. Reach out to your child’s school. You can talk to a counselor to see if they have any resources or recommendations in the area.

Communication is best and when it comes to helping our children or ourselves for that matter. However for some of us communication doesn’t always come easy. Family dynamics are different for everyone and sometimes we can miss the mark by not paying attention to our child’s needs. There is help when it comes to communication and building better relationships. Our magazine focuses on building relationships for a better quality of life. We all want to do our best for ourselves and our children. Check out our resources to learn ways to build relationships, identify behaviors, and educate ourselves when it comes to behavioral and emotional health.

If you have a mentor share below how much of an impact they have made in your life. I would love to know about it!

3 Reasons You Should Consider Therapy For Your Mental Health

Prior to the pandemic talking about mental health was not at the forefront of everyone’s mind. As a matter of fact, people didn’t talk about it too much because they didn’t want to be labeled due to the stigma. The pandemic caused a shift and honestly I think a lot of people changed the way they viewed counseling.

I’ve heard people talk highly about their therapist and recommended them to family and friends. The pandemic cased a spike in mental health treatment leaving some therapist booked and referring potential clients to their colleagues, which is amazing because I think it’s important that we all see a therapist at some point in our lives.

However some people are still reluctant, some say because of the cost, others are still concerned from the stigma. Either way it is important to put yourself first and sometimes that considers therapy. I can talk for personal experience therapy is life changing and here’s how.

1. Makes you accountable: we all have to be accountable for how things pan out. Therapy makes us look at ourselves differently. We commonly go to therapy because of something or someone else like a stressful job, finances, or someone who appears to cause frustration in our lives. However, therapy allows us to view our challenging situations differently.

2. Process situations: we all need to process a situation when it happens. That’s one of the reasons we go to that best friend or appointment family member when things occur. Processing is critical because it allows us to rethink what happened leading us to express ourselves. However, you cannot process with anyone…that’s why its imperative to do so with the right person. Some people you reach out to for support won’t be much of a support at all. Have you ever reached out to someone and they criticize you or said, “your stupid,” or “you’re better than me I wouldn’t tolerate that,” we all know that one person that we refused to go and share our business with. Or worse yet, you reach out to someone and then another person calls you because they heard about what happened from the person you shared your story with. We have all been there. I am sure you are reading this recalling your own incident. Therapist on the other hand have confidentiality, (unless you plan to harm yourself or others) they have to respect your privacy and you do not have to be concern about someone you know calling you due to what you shared with your therapist.

3. Sense of relief: talking to a professional gives one a sense of relief, once you build that report with a therapist you can be honest without judgement. Therapist are about facts and they only know what you tell them. Knowing someone hears what you are saying and can find a way to help you through the challenges is worth any session…if you ask me. We can’t always figure things out on our own, especially when we are living it. Having someone view the situation from outside the box helps because it’s hard for them to be bias.

I hope this was helpful. I am going go on a limb and say that it was. There’s a lot of good things that come from therapy, yet these three are the ones that stick out to me the most. There’s also a resource of information to help you along with educating yourself on mental health and therapy. You can do so by checking out this link here.

We have multiple magazine issues along with articles that can help you, grasp a better understanding on mental health. Don’t just take it from me, read what other therapist and even clients say about treatment. There’s personal stories you can read up on, so take a moment and grab a copy for yourself today.