We, as a society, don’t talk enough about how to be mentally healthy.
We talk about a lot of things–like clothing, decor, politics, funny videos, books, business, goal-setting, and “logistics” of life, but how often do we have conversations about what it really looks like to be mentally healthy?
And how often do we unearth all the thoughts that are weighing us down?
I know for a fact that there are millions of people struggling with depression and anxiety (it’s highly likely that you or a member of your family are going through at least one of those right now), but for years, I didn’t know there was a solution for those thoughts swirling around in my head.
I am now totally convinced that there is.
Dr. David Burns, author of Feeling Good and When Panic Attacks is my virtual friend and “mental-health-coach-by-podcast.” He came onto Power of Moms Radio and LearnDoBecome Radio in the past, and I have listened to just about every episode of his podcast, Feeling Good. (You can find all three podcasts on iTunes….)
This morning I listened to a live session he recorded with a woman named Daisy who has been going through infertility treatments and has been dealing with stress, discouragement, and feelings of failure because she hasn’t been able to have children.
I was so touched by her story.
While I haven’t gone through the same challenges as Daisy (though we did have a period of time when I couldn’t get pregnant, and I did have two miscarriages), I was totally engrossed by her willingness to share what was happening in her mind and the process that Dr. Burns walked her through to help restore her mental health.
I can’t do it justice here in this post, but you need to listen–and then go deeper into Dr. Burns’ work so you can apply it to yourself and your family.
Life is not “easy” for any of us, but what I’m learning is that the real battle is what is happening inside our minds.
Feelings of overwhelm, failure, and inadequacy can paralyze us, and whether we have children or not, the world needs strong women (and men!) who can unapologetically live their purposes.
I’m grateful to Dr. Burns and his team for helping me feel relief when I am embarrassingly hard on myself, and I’m excited to help spread the word. Your families can’t help but be blessed by his work.
And here’s one more thing: I’m hopeful that it will be comforting to Daisy to know that her ability to see her value beyond motherhood and her willingness to speak so openly about her struggles is going to help thousands of mothers around the world to feel relief and hope in their own struggles.
It’s a sweet thought when you consider that your own experience with pain can alleviate the pain of another.
Click here to visit the podcast episode with Dr. Burns and Daisy at FeelingGood.com.
Enjoy!!