In the spirit of overcoming all difficult situations, today I want to offer you some creative and safe ways to still enjoy and maintain your friendships while practicing safe distance and keeping yourself and the ones you love well. When you are intentional about ensuring the safety of all as much as you can, you will find that you have more peace and less worry, while still engaging in needed social interactions.

Anxiety makes me feel like I’m hard to love. I feel like no one understands. I can’t stop thinking, I don’t know how. It’s uncomfortable. It’s draining the life out of me. I’m exhausted. I just want to turn it off. I’m tired from sitting and doing nothing but thinking. I can’t focus on what’s important because I’m too worried about things that haven’t happened yet

While many associate being a mom with happiness and joy, the reality is that for some, this just isn’t the case. For some moms it may be difficult to find that happiness and joy in parenting. There may be cycles of anger and resentment towards situations, children or towards others related to your unique experience as a mom. Many factors can contribute to a mother feeling anger and resentment related to parenting.

Listen mama, I know what you are probably thinking; No one prepared you for this. You didn’t know it would be this hard. Many days are great but when days are bad, they are pretty darn bad. There aren’t enough hours in the day. How the heck are we supposed to get all of this done? At what point will rest actually be a thing again? Will it ever? Can it ever?

I’m here to tell you, I’m right there with you Boss Mom.

So let me be quite frank. Silent seasons are necessary in many seasons of life. A season of dealing with mental illness is not one. You need people around you who you can be loud with. People who aren't judging you and who are willing to love and support you through this. There are many options when it comes to finding support in dealing with a mental illness. Family and friends, therapist and even support groups all come to mind when I think of my journey with mental illness and also my journey as a mental health therapist.

I needed to be loved. I needed to feel accepted. I needed to feel the presence of another being, and if that meant going crazy in the process... there I was ready to be labeled crazy or whatever. The truth was that I didn't understand how there could ever be good in goodbye. I wasn't ready to accept the fact that the one thing I was holding on to, was the one thing that was impacting my mental illness in the worst of ways.

One of the hardest things to do when suffering from a mental illness of any degree, is to find a way to push through the moments that seem to have you stagnant. You have to make up your mind that no matter what it takes, you will not be defeated. Moments of failure do not equate to a lifetime of defeat. The tough times are meant to develop our character. The hardships are meant to strengthen our minds. The breakdowns are meant to show us how much we were built to be in relationship with others.

So often I find, in my practice and also in my own life, that we know exactly what to do to help our situations, but the real challenge is having the heart to do it. How many times have we said, I know I need to get the proper rest so that I can feel and be my best, but then continue to over-commit ourselves to things? How many times have we failed to properly take our medications, knowing exactly how they should be taken? How many times have we chosen to suffer in silence, knowing that we need to find someone to talk to? How many times have we failed to give time to exercise and eating well, knowing that our inability to move towards being healthy physically, also hinders us from being well mentally? How many times have we simply chosen not to, because we didn't feel like it?