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Marathons and Mental Health Part 4: Calling Yourself By Your Rightful Name
I’m not much of a TV or movie watcher, but Into the Wild is a fantastic biography that tops the list. Disillusioned with modern wealth and a high-stress, high-conflict home, Christopher McCandless leaves home after high school graduation, roaming through North America as a vagabond and hippie, his location completely unknown to his family. He takes on the name “Alexander Supertramp” and introduces himself this way in light-hearted fashion to everyone he befriends, which is basically everyone he meets. His travels, and his life, end in the wilderness of Alaska, where, after wasting away on a limited food supply, he is done in after eating a plant he thought was…
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Marathons and Mental Health Part 3: Who Decided That Was A Failure Anyway?
It was the spring of this year, and quickly getting hotter. It was now or never. It was time to go back and do what I had attempted to do in the winter, and failed at–run a 50 mile race through the Wild Azalea Trail. Notably, my attempt earlier in the year was hot on the heels of near-perfect training. I had followed a training plan religiously, done the whole self-care regimen, honed in my nutrition, and regularly checked in with a physical therapist to make sure everything was working the way it should. When race day arrived, I failed miserably. As in, I barely got started. I had three…
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Marathons and Mental Health Part 2: Check the Terrain
In Part 1 of this series, we took a look at the transient nature of life’s challenges–that’s a fancy way of saying that if things feel rough and you want to quit, just hang on, because it will likely get better. We found some tips and tricks to help us navigate those challenges when they’re happening, such as remembering our self-care strategies, taking moments to stop and breathe, keeping the bigger perspective that challenges do pass, and perhaps more importantly, that they create fertile ground for personal growth. I felt as though the last trick up our sleeve deserved a little more attention, though, and that is this: Look down…
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Marathons and Mental Health Part 1: What Running has Taught Me About Life and All Its Breakdowns
It NEVER fails. Whether I’m running a 5k, a marathon, a half or full IronMan, I always feel the worst–and ready to quit–when I’m only a third of the way in. It doesn’t make sense really. Logically, mile 3 would be harder than mile 1. Rationally, mile 80 should feel a lot worse than mile 20. But it’s actually not true. And for me, here’s why: That awful, insidious, toxic, poisonous thought takes root in my psyche and slowly spreads its tendrils throughout my body: “This is hard. It’s going to keep getting harder. I’ll never be able to do this.” This thought miraculously turns my blood to lead and…
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Mental Health Tips for People Living in Small Towns
People living in small towns can find it difficult to find ways to stay mentally healthy. This can be due to lack of activities or even counseling services in small town areas. It can feel defeating sometimes when you want to feel healthier, both physically and mentally, but don’t know where to start. As someone who grew up in a rural town in Natchitoches Parish and grew up in Natchitoches, mental health was not something that was really discussed or explored. Since our counseling practice recently opened, it has become more apparent that people who have lived their entire lives in this small town may not know all that there…
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Mental Health and First Responders
First responders work hard to protect our communities and maintain our safety. Their work often involves engaging in very stressful and traumatic situations. They often encounter difficult situations many times a day. Frequent encounters with those struggling with mental health issues can cause compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue is a mental response to helping others in stress. These encounters can also create misconceptions about individuals with mental health challenges. Misconceptions can create a stigma surrounding seeking mental health support for first responders. Even though a stigma exists, many first responders struggle with mental health difficulties. Reports show 85% of first responders have experienced symptoms of mental health disorders. Depression and PTSD…
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How to Support a Child’s Mental Health
A child’s mental health is often not considered, especially with very young children. In reality, though, children of all ages can struggle with mental health issues. According to the CDC, 1 in 6 children aged 2-8 years has a mental, behavioral, or developmental disorder (17.4%). ADHD, depression, and anxiety are common areas of concern seen in children aged 3-17 years. With proper knowledge, we can learn how to support a child’s mental health. What Does Positive Mental Health Look Like? Learning and implementing effective coping skills for challenging behaviors influences positive mental health. Having a toolbox of coping skills can help your child function better at home and at school.…
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Good Teachers Have Scary Thoughts
It was my first (and only) year teaching. Though my background was in mental health, I thought I would try my hand at education. Sure, it was an incredible learning curve to be a teacher, but, all things considered, I did pretty well. My classroom was one of clear and high expectations, kindness, creativity, mutual respect, and learning. I had great reviews from administration, fantastic results on evaluations, and my supervisors were encouraging me to continue the teaching path. But good teachers can have scary thoughts. What I would never let anyone know was that, while on the outside I seemed to have a pretty well-put together classroom, on the…
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3 Ways to Feel Happier This Year
When I was younger I used to believe happiness was a byproduct of a perfect set of ideal conditions. Somehow if I met and married the right person, had a beautiful, big house, found the right job, and had 3 children and a dog then happiness would surely follow. If you’ve walked the earth long enough, you’ve probably come to realize life is no fairytale. The perfect set of conditions does not exist. My life never arrived at what I perceived would equal happiness. Yet, along the way I have learned what happier people tend to do more than those who feel happiness is like a long lost relative. And…
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The Power of Presence
Have you ever gone to an event or celebration and by the end of it felt like you missed it? Shared a story with someone and thought the other person had no clue what you said? Went to dinner where it seemed your dinner dates were more interested in their phone than you? Or have you sat back in a crowded space and felt completely alone-like no one was paying attention? If you have, you are not alone. We are living a in time where many people, places, and things are competing for our focus and attention. Distractions are plenty. Staying focused is more challenging than ever. We long for…
