I was on my second headache for the week and it was only Tuesday. Something had to give. I could not keep medicating myself and pretending everything was okay. After a routine follow-up with my primary, I was faced with a decision that would hit close to home. I was in the thick of a depressive episode and my ego was chipped. How could I be a health coach and I can’t even seem to get my own mental health under control? I asked myself. Pharmaceutical drugs are extremely useful and I am not here to debate on what is the “better” route to go. All I can confidently say is that when it comes to medical intervention, the whole body approach is always the more preferable option for me. I like to sit with my emotions to process them and if I can do that using supplements that support brain cell protection, relaxation, and homeostasis in the body then I am sold!

For the entire month of April, I will be creating and sharing posts about Stress Awareness. I am proud to be an advocate for mental health and with that comes prioritizing giving yourself what you need when you are not feeling your best. Feeling under the weather does not solely rely on your physical health. We are all just as vulnerable to emotional congestion if we do not take the time to process our feelings. This year of motherhood and entrepreneurism has taught me to grant myself healthy outlets to recharge from.

Feeling joyful and at peace within yourself is not something you stumble upon, you work at it. Happiness is a choice. You choose to It is fully our responsibility to give ourselves grace and permit ourselves the things our bodies might be screaming for. Ignoring your inner guidance will only suppress your feelings of significance and stifle the way you show up in the world. If you are suppressing how you feel inside you are a suppressed individual, unlike your fullest and most perfect self-expression. Be good to yourself and you can be good to others. If you are feeling more tired than usual, allow yourself to go to bed an hour earlier. If you are feeling overwhelmed, graciously back out of a commitment you made with someone. You might let someone down for the moment but your well-being to be able to go the distance in this thing called life is worth the letdown.

I am learning the true definition of the statement, ‘You can’t pour from an empty cup’. It is true. We give from our overflow. It is in our overflow that love, kindness, joy, and peace spill onto others. If you are depleted you can believe it is deprivation that you spill onto the rest of the world. Love those around you enough to love yourself. Love is a verb. Do loving things for yourself. Do the things that make you light up, smile, and relax. It has been told that joy is our birthright. We owe it to the creator of our universe to find joy in the things that are scientifically backed to release the “happy” chemical called serotonin. Here’s a list of things you can start doing today to guarantee emotional balance and feelings of hopefulness.

1. Go for a 20-minute walk outside. Enjoying the outdoor elements help recenter the thoughts in the mind
2. Eat balanced whole foods. The gut is the second brain and the body when cared for with proper foods you will experience greater serotonin release
3. Try out a low dose of CBD. CBD acts as a neuroprotective agent preserving brain cells from damage.
4. Get a full night’s sleep (most doctors recommend 8 hours)
5. Meditation. Deep, rhythmic, breathing helps to deactivate the areas of the brain responsible for rumination and fear based thoughts.

Try out one of the methods mentioned above everyday this month and share your experiences with me down in the comments!