Can we have a moment of real talk?  I mean like really, real talk? The kinda talk that bares your spirit and leaves you vulnerable?

The last blog I wrote and published was at the end of April to promote May being mental health awareness month.  I included all kinds of cool links where you get could free mental health kits,  as well as themes that different organizations were doing to help you create a culture of wellness wherever you were.  During the month of May, He Who Laughs joined the mental health movement by making the Mindful Kids series of journals from Usborne Books available for free.  Crazy to think that we started with 100 Mindful Kids journals, and to date only 10 remain.  This activity reach was not only in Union County, but beyond, and it is humbling to think of the seeds planted by our efforts.

It is much work to promote mental wellness and to keep extending our reach with each activity or event.  It takes forming connections with others who see the value that mental health is health.  When you find yourself on the front lines of the mental health fight, it is exhausting and frustrating to hear people dismiss the importance of mental health, or hear them site myths as fact. The stigma surrounding mental health is real and while there is movement showing some improvements, it is my honest opinion we cannot shatter the stigma fast enough.

Myths surrounding mental health are just plain toxic.

For example, taking care of your mental health is a 24/7 job.  You don’t just practice self care techniques (e.g. boundary setting), do yoga, journal or go to counseling because you have a mental health diagnosis.  Life gives us plenty of reasons to make mental health just as important as physical health; not to mention the dynamic relationship between the two.  Being proactive in your mental wellness can help individuals develop strong social emotional and coping skills which not only help in a moment of crisis, but these skills aid in lifelong emotional development and stability.

Can we also table the idea that it is a sign of weakness to say you need help?  We all need help and the bottom line is if we were meant to do life alone, then the desire to connect to something or someone bigger would not exist.  We are stronger together, and here comes a real talk moment, the past two plus years the division of people and spirit was great.  Not only did we lose human lives to COVID, we lost our freedom, our fears were greater than our compassion, and our trust in others shattered.  If you think for a moment doing life alone was ok, then I strongly encourage you to reflect on what the past two plus years has held for you.  We will feel the effects of COVID and its impact on our mental health for years to come.

There are several more myths I could ramble on about, but I would severely digress from my initial statement of “real talk.”

What is real talk you ask?

Real talk is when you share what you are feeling without censoring out things because it might hurt someone’s feelings.  This can be done in person, on the computer, social media or text.  Real talk is a place of raw vulnerability in my life.  I often ask individuals because of my “real talk game” do you want me to listen or are you asking for my opinion?  I realize that as a social worker I do need to ask this clarifier when having certain conversations because not everyone wants real talk. Not everyone wants to have the unfiltered version of me.  Not everyone is ready to open up and be emotionally raw or real.

My mental health is on display more times than I care to admit.  If I told you what I was thinking somedays,  I have no doubt some people would judge me.  They would question my ability and integrity to leave the world better than I found it and my ability to promote mental wellness.  The very essence of who I am and who I pour into my businesses is routinely open to criticism from people.  I hear the chatter, I hear the comparisons, I hear the “why don’t you partner with this person or business”. Then, in all the noise, I hear how we are meeting people right where they are on the best and worst days of their lives.

“Speak the truth, even if your voice shakes.”

This is a favorite quote from Maggie Kahn. My real talk is living my yoga on and off the mat. Yoga is more to me than a work out.  My practice is a work in and the time on my mat saves my mental wellness time and time again.  I speak my truth often and countless times, my voice shakes.  However, at the end of the day I am able to look in the mirror and be grateful for the human who is staring back at me, flaws and all.

Do you have people you can engage in real talk?  People you know who have your back, especially when you are not present?