How often do we hear the cliches of: “It’s ok not to be ok” & “If all you did was make it through the day, then I’m proud of you.”
Nothing wrong w those cliches, but they’re – cliches. What do they actually look like in real world practice?
There are many advocates out there, bc of how big the worlds of self-help, coaching, & mental health have become. From many you hear inspirational quotes like the ones above, & don’t get me wrong – it feels good to motivate & help others. That’s why so many do it – whether being followed by 300 ppl or 3 million – helping ppl helps us!
But just bc there are a large # posting these quotes, or providing info, doesn’t mean the lives of advocates are all fun, easy, & a walk in the park. We’re hypocrites if that’s the way we come off – bc the same way we point to how some ppl only show the best versions of themselves/their fams on social, & how that’s a false reality, is the same way we’d be hurting ppl to only talk abt “how well we are always doing.”
I did a post a while back in the midst of our Midwest portion of the #SameHere Sit Down tour where I opened up & said the pics/camaraderie/fun t-shirts make nice visuals, but in-between what you’re not seeing is – hundreds of miles being driven, catching sleep for a few hours at a time, grabbing fast food just to get something in our stomachs, & feeling like our tank’s low before getting up in front of groups. The fun pics didn’t tell the full story.
So, while it’s that weird time btwn Xmas/New Years, where there is “some” down time, but you’re still motivated to push forward & get work done, let me be open & admit, there have been a few days recently where – waking up at even 10am has been a challenge. I’ve felt a sense of accomplishment just getting out of bed, downstairs, & taking my vitamins/supplements, writing one email from my phone IN my bed, & then going back & napping again. When your MH tank is drained, accomplishing small things/ checking the box of brushing your teeth, taking your meds, feels like you’ve done a days worth of work. And that’s ok!