yesterday was mental health awareness day !! a little late o..

yesterday was mental health awareness day !! a little late on this post but i wanted to share a few words. as a society we have formed such a stigma around mental health and an ever *larger* stigma around breaking the stigma. read that again !! life isn’t all about sunshine and inspirational quotes. your diagnosis whether that be anxiety, depression, ptsd, bipolar, bpd, (& more not noted) does not define who you are as a person. rather it helps you understand underlying qualities about yourself and allows you (and others) to understand how you connect and what you may be in the process of healing from. mental illness is indeed a sickness and should be treated as so. however it often is not because it’s an invisible illness. someone could look completely fine on the outside and be on the verge of a panic attack. or especially in the age of social media, posting online to fulfill a persona but figuring out how to wake up and brush their everyday. i say this to raise awareness on simply being kind. be kind to your neighbor. smile at the coffee barista. & live everyday letting the people you love know that you love them. & most importantly remember to be kind to yourself. if you struggle, treat your invisible illness like a sore throat or broken arm. if you feel compelled to take a mental health day, do so! & don’t feel guilty or bad about it. it’s okay to rest. remember to love yourself and be your own friend first. your light will attract so many. 🤍 but also protect that light and inner peace. & learn who is worthy of sharing that with (because not everyone is, unfortunately). as many of you know i struggle with anxiety, depression and ptsd. but i’m learning to navigate the world knowing what it’s like to fall down every once in a while. when i fall i allow myself to cry, sob even. i allow myself to feel the pain. depending on the injury sometimes the recovery isn’t as fast as i’d like it to be— but what’s most important is eventually i’ll stand up. i’ll bandage the wound and i’ll allow it to heal. & i recognize that there will be more wounds but with each day is a blessing. happy mental health awareness, i love you. 🧠🪴✨