😊  It’s Gonna be May

May is here and it’s officially the start of Mental Health Awareness Month.

This month holds a special place in my heart.

Before I turned 35, I had never experienced what I’d consider true depression.

Of course, I’ve had some lows.

Losing a loved one, going through a breakup, or just having one of those weeks at work.

But not the “D” word.

Experiencing these feelings for the first time in your late 30s is not easy.

I made it through high school, college and 10+ years “adulting” in the real world before feeling this way.

How is that possible?

Instead of trying to figure out why, I focused on how — how to cope and how to keep moving forward.

Here’s my go-to list:
🧠 Quality sleep
🏃 Daily movement
🧘 Meditation
❄️ Cold plunges
📝 Journaling
💬 Therapy

All of these things are helping.

I’m realizing it’s something I can’t “come out of” but more so something I have to keep under control.

🧠 Mental Health Heroes

Each week of May, I will be highlighting Mental Health Heroes that continue to support the Mental Health space with their efforts.

Tim Perreira - Entrepreneur turned Mental Health Advocate: Tim is 60 days into his walk across America, raising money for Movember. He has already raised $36,000 on his GoFundMe page and is currently in New Mexico with his finishing sights set on Virginia Beach in 3 months or so. Follow Tim’s journey on his Instagram.

Jason Au - Call Your Fam: In 2021, Jason launched Call Your Fam, a brand centered around mental health awareness with every piece of merch serving as a reminder to check in on the people you love — and to actually call your fam. He has grown the brand by hosting pop-ups where he asks stranger to call someone they love and check in. Check out the Call Your Fam IG page. 

Kevin Love - NBA Champion, Olympic Gold Medalist & Founder of the Kevin Love Fund: I personally worked with Kevin Love for 3 years while I worked for the Minnesota Timberwolves but that’s not why he’s on this list. In 2018, during halftime of a November NBA game, Kevin experienced a severe panic attack. That moment inspired him to launch the Kevin Love Fund to inspire people to live their healthiest life by creating equity between their physical and mental health. Proud of Kevin for making a difference in this space. His full The Players’ Tribune article “Everyone is going through something” can be read HERE.

 💭 My Final Thought  

You are not alone.

And I’ve been there before. I’ve been in a low. I felt that I was a burden. I felt that I wasn’t worthy of anything.

But it’s when things were good that I wish I had asked for help.

I wish I would have reached out to someone to talk.

If I have one regret - not starting therapy early enough.

There are great online therapy resources like BetterHelp (and many others) that you can choose from if your town does not offer in office therapy visits.

This is a topic that gets the front seat in the month of May but I believe in having this conversation 365 days a year.

I’m excited to continue pushing this conversation forward all month long and beyond.

Have a great week and DODGE THE NORM!

REMINDER: Call 9-8-8 for the Suicide Prevention Hotline 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

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