Over the past few months I have been making an effort to listen to my body and making some changes in support of self care. To be transparent, I have not been feeling like myself at all…experiencing some anxiety and depression. The joy that I once held so dear has seemingly disappeared. At times I have felt hopeless as I sit home alone while my family is at work and/or school. I want to be clear and say that I have never felt like harming myself in anyway. I just know that I am not myself lately so I reached out for help.

This week I began seeing a christian counselor. I must admit this was a very scary step for me to take, but it was the right thing for me to do for the sake of my mental health. Having to admit that I am in a space where I need additional support was hard for me. I tend to be pretty private and I try to handle things on my own through prayer and devotion, but I got to a point where I am overwhelmed, stressed, anxious and hopeless which is not my normal character. I have a dear friend who inspired to be speak to someone. I appreciate the reminder that it’s ok to not be ok! I will say that again…IT’S OK TO NOT BE OK!

So far I’ve only visited my counselor once, but it was great. I felt heard and I felt like I am on my way to creating a toolbox of things I can put in place that will help me navigate each day with more joy, peace and laughter.

I will keep you posted on how things are going. This, so far, has been one of the best decisions I’ve made in a very long time.

Remember, IT’S OK TO NOT BE OK! If you are not feeling like yourself or if you are experiencing the following symptoms, please reach out and talk to someone who can help:

Symptoms can include:

Mood: anxiety, apathy, general discontent, guilt, hopelessness, loss of interest or pleasure in activities, mood swings, or sadness

Behavioral: agitation, excessive crying, irritability, restlessness, or social isolation

Sleep: early awakening, excess sleepiness, insomnia, or restless sleep

Whole body: excessive hunger, fatigue, or loss of appetite

Cognitive: lack of concentration or slowness in activity

Weight: weight gain or weight loss

Also common: poor appetite, repeatedly going over thoughts, or thoughts of suicide

Thank you so much for stopping by. Please share this post with someone who might be struggling with making the decision to get help. You can also catch my podcast “Windy’s Journey“, now streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you stream.

Thank you for your support!

XO, Windy