Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety.

Depression.

Friends, you never really know what people are going through...

Social media is an amazing tool to keep people connected, to share information, and to spread messages of light & love.

But it can also be a way of somebody adopting a false persona.

Don’t get caught up in watching someone else’s highlight reel, thinking that their life is perfect.

Perfection is an illusion.

August of 2017 I was diagnosed with alopecia after finding 2 rather large bald spots on my head.

Then 2 months later, John came home with news that we would most likely be relocating our family to another state.

It was like a bomb went off.

The change and uncertainty of both was too much for my already anxious personality.

You see, I am a slight control freak, self-diagnosed OCD/neat freak, and I can be a little high strung at times.

Exercise and nutrition had been a way for me to manage this for awhile, but that Fall everything came to a head.

I wasn't sleeping, I was snapping at the kids, and crying for no reason at all. #enotionalrollercoaster

I knew I needed to do what was so hard for me - to admit that something was off and ask for help.

So I did.

I began anti-anxiety meds and I’m so grateful I did. It got me through a really hard time.

It gave me back the joy that went missing.

I was able to be the kind of wife & mom my family deserved.

Since then I’ve added to much more to my mental health care regimen, including practicing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, seeing a therapist and regular self-care.

It’s been almost 2 years since we moved (2 years at Christmas time) and about 1.5 years since I recommitted to my fitness and nutrition.

I am a different person than I was when I started my journey in 2014 and also different from the woman in 2017 that I share about in this post.

We have been through a lot as a family, but this mental health journey has been by far the most life altering one.

Mental health is a HUGE piece to our overall wellness, my friends.

We can get into a good groove with exercise, crush our clean eating plans, BUT IF WE DON’T PAY ATTENTION TO WHATS HAPPENING INSIDE OUR MINDS then it’s all for nothing.

Give yourself permission to seek help.

It doesn’t make you weak.

It makes you stronger for recognizing that you will be better for it.

And as always, I’m always here to listen.

xoxo

Sarah