Mental Health Awareness Month!
Mental Health Awareness Month definitely has a new meaning this year!
How have you been dealing with the Pandemic?
Have you made effort to be as social as possible by keeping in contact via phone or internet?
Have you snuck to friends and families houses with a mask?
Have you lost your job?
Have you found yourself on Tik Tok learning dances you never thought you’d do?
Have you been living in fear?
Have you developed new health issues or has existing health issues gotten worse?
If so, how have you dealt with all of that?
All of the above can slowly creep up on us until BAM we are depressed, have more anxiety, or finding ourselves more irritable, heavier, sitting more than ever, and completely out of energy from doing absolutely nothing. This is when and how existing health problems get worse or new ones develop. It all happens so slowly. During this period there may be zero to little signs of health problems – easy things to blow off like occasional dizziness (always easy to blame on CHD).
When we continuously ignore our body crying out for help, it will get louder and louder and show up in various different ways until we listen. Maybe we think we should sit more because we’re so tired, yet sitting may be creating lack of circulation, possible formation of blood clots, or other sneaky health issues.
The double-edged sword of sitting: not having the energy to stand up and get moving! Ahh!
The Pandemic for many of us has definitely been a physical struggle and harder on our bodies than we may recognize. It’s all out in the open and very much talked about now (thankfully!) how much our mental health has been affected by COVID. Even though we are hopefully toward the end of it, please keep your physical health in mind as well because they work together!
Picture Credit: NAMI.ORG
For me, the Pandemic has been rough socially because since my teen years, I have always been such a social butterfly and being around people charges me up. Yet before 11-12 years old or so, I was very quiet and shy…and afraid of everyone. Now, I am just as much of an extrovert as I am an introvert. I definitely need my down, alone time to recharge as well but after a week or so of not being around people, I can feel it!
Over the past year I have made sure to talk to many friends on the phone, video chat, and take a few online classes to stay social. As far as my alone time, I also make sure to have plenty of that and try not to have too much, which can be very easy for me to fall into. My alone time over the past year has consisted of occasionally working on my book as well as taking space from it, Coaching, and being the housewife I have been for years…hoping to be a Mommy sooner than later too! Feel free to read my Adoption Articles.
Health wise, the Pandemic was scary because having procedures, going to doctor’s appointments, and not having visitors during recovery was very depressing and scary for me. This is where our right to having a Disability comes in! If you refer to your condition as that (“disability”), even if it's uncomfortable, when in the hospital, you can have your one visitor – which I did so I can have my fiancé with me at ALL times.
If you do not use the word “disability” they are not likely to allow a visitor, so as I shared many months ago on my social media – for the remainder of the Pandemic, please remember when in the hospital to use your keyword “disability” to ask doctors if you can have your one visitor.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS during COVID! To review your disability rights, please read the following article: Disability Rights During COVID
Moving forward: Now that more people are vaccinated, groups are forming again, and things are opening up that have been closed for over a year! As a result, there is a happy and free energy in the world right now that is so refreshing!
We feel comfortable going back to church in real life as of a few weeks ago which has been wonderful, and back to meeting with friends and family on occasion for certain events – if it’s not too many people.
Grocery shopping is fine for me now too. My fiancé was doing all of the shopping for a long time because I was avoiding all stores, restaurants, etc. If I had to be in a building of people, it was in and out of hospitals which was enough for me! Now, things are going well and slowly getting back to “normal” as my health is in slow recovery and I get excited to go grocery shopping again, lol.
On top of that – some of the best news ever (besides my health improving) is hopefully slowly approaching, and that is us moving right along with the Foster process – as updated in my last article: Pandemic Marriage & Adoption Journey (Pt. 2).
Overall, we feel good about where we are in life and excited to slowly move forward being out in the world, potentially starting a family this or next year, and as for me – growing my career as an Empowerment and Health Coach, Advocate, Writer, and soon to be book Author.
Some questions to think about:
Have you thought about your new goals for the next 3, 6, or 12 months?
Where are you with your Mental & Physical Health at this point in the Pandemic?
How has it affected your mind and body?
Were you able to use COVID as an opportunity to create anything new and exciting in your life?
I hope you are feeling the refreshing energy in the air out there too, and becoming more hopeful and motivated to get back to life!
-Stephanie Romer
HLHS, 1985
--
COACHING SERVICES
I am here to expand your mind, teach you lifelong skills and tools that you can use to motivate yourself to live the life you are here on this Earth to live!
To learn more about what Coaching vs Therapy is or what it is that I do exactly and how it can benefit you: Visit www.StephanieRomer.com.
*In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month I am giving a $20 discount for the first 6 sessions! This puts each session at $77 per hour instead of $97. However, the price goes down from there when purchasing three sessions or more!
www.stephanieromer.com | www.chdlegacy.com