Help is on the way, dear!

I faint a bit.

I’ve done it since I was a little kid. But I know now there are certain triggers for me that make fainting more likely—things like not eating and not drinking enough water. I even feel faint when I’m super anxious. Apparently fainting has some genetics involved because my daughter did a similar trick about a month ago…and under similar circumstances.

The only reason I bring this up is because I do what I can to avoid fainting. For whatever reason, my likelihood of fainting is high. I don’t just grit my teeth and hope for the best. I definitely don’t tough it out. My health matters, and I am proactive in taking care of myself. For one thing, I always make sure I have water with me and I drink a LOT of water. I eat when I need to. I don’t see this as a big problem. I’m not embarrassed about it. If I do faint, I always wake up and move on. It is what it is.

One more example.

Brian gets headaches. I do, too. We don’t get them all the time, but you live long enough—you are going to have an ache now and again. I’ve tried a few remedies. Over time, I have found that Tylenol works the best for me. Excedrin works much better for Brian…the caffeine really helps him. We both take medicine when we need to. I don’t get apologetic about having a headache. It happens when you have a physical body. Again, it simply is what it is.

Before i get too far into my list of physical ailments, I’ll get to the point.

Mental health matters.

Not everything is going to work for everyone. There are so many kinds of help available. Therapy, counseling, coaching, medicines, meditation, retreats…the list can go on and on. Getting help for our mental health is NOT shameful. There is nothing embarrassing about it. You are NOT crazy if you have a therapist. You are NORMAL. No one should expect you or anyone else to just tough it out. Our minds have aches and pains as real as our body does. Truthfully, the mind-body connection is very powerful.

So I hope that in 2024, you will seek out help with your mental health as readily as you do for your physical health. Try therapy. Talk to a counselor. Get a coach. Try anything—something—everything and find what works for you. Stop sitting on the sidelines trying to grit your teeth through life.

Your mental health matters.

You matter.