With the New Year being so young, many people are still thinking of what they want out of 2022. This year, instead of having a whole list of resolutions that I would inevitably give up on by the end of the first month, I’ve decided to set intentions and small goals. We live in an unpredictable world, and so many …
Finding the Light in Every Year
As we enter a new year, many of us spend time reflecting on the past year. We think about all that we have endured, all that we had longed to do but didn’t, all we accomplished, the highs and the lows, and all the moments in between. As I did my own reflecting, my most defining moment of 2021 was …
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year, everyone! We made it a whole year, and I am so proud of each and every one of you. As we move forward into this new year, I want to take some time to reflect on the last one. 2021 was a very hard year—for a lot of people, not just me—but I’m looking at 2022 with …
Post-Holiday Self-Care
The holidays can be so hard, whether you’re grieving the loss of a loved one or you’re overwhelmed by the sheer volume of responsibilities you have. Taking time for yourself after a big holiday is so important. This year, my holiday season looked different than it ever has before, and at times I just felt so overwhelmed and burnt out. …
Ask for the Support You Need
It’s okay to ask for help. It’s okay to rely on your support system. It’s so easy to get caught up in the idea that we can do everything on our own, that we don’t need someone else’s help to be okay. Relying on others isn’t a bad thing, though. This week, 1N5 had our staff Christmas lunch. In the …
Slow Down & Be Present With This Version of You
Remember to stay present with this version of you. This is a reminder I am telling myself right now. Recently, I’ve been somewhat freaking out about becoming a mom. I’ve been so excited for so long but with my due date approaching in just over a month, I’m starting to feel all the fears and feelings. I’m starting to wonder …
Take Emotional Inventory
When’s the last time you checked in with yourself? I know I don’t do it often enough. While on my self-care and self-love journey, I’ve been working on being more in tune with my emotions. That means checking in with my feelings and seeing where I’m at mentally, which isn’t always easy. I’ve recently started using a scale to see …
An Open Letter to My Heart
This week, I had both a psychiatry and therapy appointment. In both of my appointments, I had to admit that I’ve been shutting down my feelings for a while and not facing the emotional truths I need to face. As an act of contrition, I’m writing an open letter to my heart to apologize for how I’ve wronged it. You’re …
Brenda Shares Her #WarriorWednesday Story…
In 1992 I was diagnosed with bipolar 1. I struggled mostly untreated for almost two decades. Countless hospital stays. Electroshock therapy. Never being able to hold a job. I lived in New York City for the first 10 years of this time and moved back to Iowa during a manic episode in 2003. In September 2008 I became very “sick” again …
It’s Okay if the Holidays Aren’t So Joyful
It’s okay if the holidays are hard for you. I was always someone who associated the holidays with joy. The holidays always were a joyous time for me and my family. As I got older, it became less about material items or the food and more about the time spent with some of my favorite people. My therapist has told …