Project Happiness Articles — selfcare

In lieu of the two very tragic deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain this year, I want to remind all of you to be extra kind to one another for this is a perfect example of, “you have no idea what others are going through”. You may not feel that the subject of mental illness pertains to you, but it should, as more than likely someone in your life is going through something that you know nothing about.

Anxiety – what is it? There are so many different levels of Anxiety and some can be so severe that could lead to a panic attack (which if you haven’t experienced - can be so overwhelming it almost feels like a heart attack! ).

When you’re feeling down and out, or generally just low, do you ever feel pressured to pull yourself out of it as soon as possible? To constantly appear happy? But what if we accept that not being okay, is very much part of being okay; how might this impact our personal journey?

What if, regardless what we're going through, we choose to see our minds as a tool, a friend, a co-creator in our path towards freedom and wellness? What if we see the issue, label or whatever we're annoyed at our minds for, as a separate entity i.e. not part of the mind itself, but a passing albeit unwanted visitor?

I had been desperately trying to avoid pain at all cost, perpetually searching for new stimuli to prevent me from sitting alone with my thoughts. In that moment in my garage, as I sat there fatigued, I realized that it was powerful to embrace the pain. The calm exhilaration that I felt was an effect of the physical exertion.

I was deeply sad when I was supposed to be happy, which was a good description for how I had been feeling for as long as I could remember. And so a few months later, in a country where people are more likely to admit to having had liposuction than they would admit to (or even consider) having their mental health checked, I walked into a psychiatrist’s office for the very first time.

Former American actress Joey Adams claims that “if it weren’t for the fact that the TV set and the refrigerator are so far apart some of us wouldn’t get any exercise at all.” While Adams humorously understands the expectation of society today, many of us truly struggle to find motivation for exercising. However, like all complications in life, simplification leads to completion.

And so it begins—the willingness to subsume our own will because of the uniquely uncomfortable feeling that comes from saying no. This phenomenon is by no means confined to youth. All of us, at some point or another, have found ourselves coming up with excuses of our own. 

It’s surprising how often each of us worry about our social situation or experience loneliness and lack of connection, yet how little time we spend exploring ourselves. I’ve learned that spending time by myself actually enhances my ability to connect with other people. It turns out that as I spend time understanding myself it helps me understand and connect with others.

I wrote 'Gravity' as a message of hope to those who need it, and the video features myself along side some beautiful souls, who struggle every day with mental health issues, either of their own or of someone they care about. We're speaking out about it in the hope that others might see some light at the end of tunnel and feel that they can open up too.