Trying to get your life together is a lot of work and worst of all, expensive. Getting good grades, being active on campus, trying to get internships, working on post-grad opportunities, paying applications for professional schools. Yet, were so worried about securing our bag for the future that we tend to lose focus on ourselves, our mental health. Having a lot of priorities can be stressful and on the other side, dealing with stress outside of schools such as family and friends. Keeping up with friendships, relationships, and trying to better your life is draining to our minds. Making sure we’re in the right mental space is very healthy while trying to secure the bag. We’re so busy taking care of other things, that we forget to take care of ourselves. Being an advocate of mental health, I am a supporter of therapy and counseling. There are so many layers we can tackle when it comes to depression, stress, and anxiety, but in general, talking to someone is the best way to start.
Throughout our lives we’ve lived through experiences that maybe traumatic or experiences that we wouldn’t think would be traumatic. Sometimes we wouldn’t even know that those experiences would have a lasting impact as we get older. So, we have all this baggage but don’t know where to unpack. Talking to a professional or someone great at listening and understanding can be relieving. They are people in our lives who can have a positive impact but then they are those who weight you down. Start with getting rid of those weights. When securing the bag you want to be in the best positive space as possible which means surrounding yourself with positive people who will make you a better person and will support you no matter what your dreams are. There will be times where stress can prevent you from doing what needs to be done. Not wanting to get up or being productive, sometimes you’ll feel like a failure and the pressure of having everything together, well it is okay to feel that way. At the end of the day, you are human and you have the right to have these emotions.
Today, millennials have a lot of pressure being put on by a society that we have to be successful as soon as we graduate from college; that is not the case. Everyone’s path is different and some paths do not even include college. But I know for some people, stress from family and others can be a huge factor when it comes to one’s depression. We don’t want to fail at anything and deal with judgment. As someone who dealt with depression over the years, it is a rollercoaster ride. One day I was up doing school work, attempting to go to events, and the next day I did not want to leave my bed or my room. It was as if my body could not move. There were days where I just cried because I was unhappy with myself and where I was at in life. I had thoughts in my head that I did not want to think about. Now, going to therapy healed my mind and soul. Simply talking to someone about a variety of things is soothing. Each time I leave therapy, ladies will understand this comparison, it feels like coming home and finally getting to take off your shoes and bra. I was much happier and found the motivation to exercise and be productive with my life. Going to panels and listening to podcasts that cover these topics has been a life-changer for me. It makes me feel like I’m not alone or crazy. Are there days where I still want to lay down and just watch Netflix all day with a blanket over my head instead of work? Yes indeed! It is very important to know that the healing process from therapy and counseling is not going to happen overnight. Everyone’s process is different and that is perfectly okay. We are all working progress at the end of the day and we are allowed to be human.
Securing your bag and trying to deal with other factors is exhausting but don’t let it control you, take control of it and your mental health. It’s going to be hard and for most uncomfortable. But think of it like this; when we break a bone we go see an orthopedist, when we have a cold we see a pharmacist or a physician, when we need glasses we see an optometrist. Just like we go to professionals to fix everything else, we can do that with our minds as well; our most important organ needs treatment too sometimes. Years back therapy was very tabu and was used for rich white people. That is why I’m happy the narrative changed, especially among the black community. We have enough stress as it is living in this world and trying to secure our bags when people at the top want to take them. It is essential to learn to have a good balance of work and taking time to take care of yourself. We can secure the bag but we can also secure the wellness of our minds as well.