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 …
Mind Over Matter
The past few days, I’ve been in a little bit of a funk. I hadn’t been working out, I’d been overworking myself, and I was just exhausted. This morning, I slept through the original workout class I had scheduled, and I really didn’t want to schedule another one. I debated for over an hour whether I should go but finally …
Don’t Be Afraid of Change
Change makes us stronger. As scary as it may be, try not to run away from change. I’ve recently gone through a lot of change in my personal life. As I’m maturing and becoming the person I want to be, I’ve been experiencing change. I started therapy again, as we know, but I’ve also been letting go of people and …
Finding The Joy Again
I’m starting to feel joy again. What an amazing feeling. I remember telling my therapist shortly before my mom passed that one of my goals was to be able to truly feel laughter and joy again. I spoke about how life felt less joyful, and moments of laughter felt almost out of body, and that I wasn’t actually experiencing them …
You Hold Power Over Your Own Thoughts
This week in therapy, my therapist said something that really stuck with me. She told me, “You have dominion over your own thoughts and actions.” We were talking about negative thinking and intrusive thoughts, specifically in reference to one particular incident that happened a few months ago. In the past, I’ve talked about separating what your mental illness is saying …