Conquering Heights and Career Fears During Mental Health Awareness Month

I started seeing a therapist recently to work on my fear of heights. This is something I want to share for 3 reasons:

1. I have an increasing fear of heights that I want to mitigate?
2. Asking for help is hard and I think it’s important to be transparent about this challenge as I enter the Coaching profession?
3. May is Mental Health Awareness Month?

I’ll start with #1 first.??

#1 - Fear of heights

As far back as I can remember, I didn’t love heights.? Nevermind that I was a competitive pole vaulter in high school???, I used to say that I wasn’t scared of heights, I just didn’t prefer them :).? But lately it’s gotten worse.??

About a year ago, I came upon a bridge I couldn’t cross.? It was the Mile High Swinging Bridge at Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina.? I took a few steps, my knees shook, I felt dizzy, my heart sank and I retreated to safety.? I took a deep breath, got into the zennest state I could, repeated a calming mantra and I still couldn’t get more than a few yards onto the bridge without a significant physiological effect.? I was embarrassed and disappointed and moved on with the trip.? ?

The next red flag was on a family visit to La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona in December.? After taking in the majestic sight from inside and below, we went to the top of one of the towers via elevator, which was fine.? But at the top, we had to descend a tight set of spiral stairs and I was frozen on the steps.? I clung to the tiny railing and walls and very slowly made my way down, thanks to the patience and understanding of my family.? My legs were burning from the intensity and resulting lactic acid buildup.??

The last straw was attending a Braves game with my brother a few weeks ago.? I don’t know why I bought tickets in the front row of the third level, but it was a terrible idea.? I held onto the arms of my chair with all of my might for several hours before leaving.? Luckily baseball games are shorter this year :).? A night that should have been fun and relaxing turned stressful which is obviously counterproductive.? It didn't help that the Reds pitching staff blew three leads in the same game :(

With my new entrepreneurial schedule, I have more flexibility than ever so I reviewed my insurance coverage and signed up to see a virtual practitioner who deals with phobias.?I don’t know if therapy will resolve my fear completely, but I’m giving it a chance.? The increasing discomfort was great enough to motivate me to try something new.???

#2 - Asking for help is hard

Awhile ago, I had an employee tell me they needed to take an hour off every Thursday morning to see their therapist.? The openness and vulnerability of the request was stunning.? They didn’t even need to ask, but putting it out there meant something to me and increased our mutual trust and respect in a way I couldn’t have imagined.? I was inspired.??

As a Professional Career Coach, I’m humbled by the people with the courage to sign up for a session with me.? It’s an admission that you can’t accomplish something on your own, or at least getting help from someone can’t hurt.? I believe that asking for help is a strength not a weakness, but that’s not always intuitive based on societal norms.? And I’ll readily admit, I don’t live in everyone’s shoes so I won’t begin to trivialize the challenge.??

For job seekers, there are some serious trepidations that appear as an obstacle course during an already stressful process - fear of networking, public speaking, interviewing, even fear of success — Can I do the job? What will people think of me? What affect will this have on my life? Taking your career to new heights has its own anxieties.

In each of these situations, it may be helpful to have a partner in the pursuit.??Usually, I’d be the first to offer my assistance as a Career Coach, but for deeper worries, a licensed therapist should be consulted.??I bring this up intentionally as part of Mental Health Awareness Month. ??

#3 - Mental Health Awareness month?

Why is it that I’ve been to Physical Therapy countless times, but not other forms of therapy?? Perhaps physical injuries are more obvious, or mental health challenges are more private.??

Either way, resources exist and I want to share some here:

• NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness?
• SonderMind - accepts most major insurance plans
• BetterHelp - "world's largest therapy platform"
• NIMH ? National Institute for Mental Health
• Dial 911 or 988 for emergencies

Do you have any fears that you have conquered or want to conquer?

Please comment below if you have other suggestions for assistance ??

As a final personal note, the perceptive among you already noticed a photo of a bridge in my LinkedIn profile background. I do love the metaphorical representation - connection between ideas, people and the future.? But it’s also a reminder of my own humility and our shared humanity.? Hopefully, if therapy helps with heights, I can reduce my fear for all things.? There’s a certain respect for danger that is reasonable, but I don’t want to let anything stop me from enjoying every precious day.?? Just don’t get me started about snakes… ??

#mentalhealthishealth

#youareenough

h/t to Aimee Doyne , my eloquent Editor in Chief and perpetual partner in all things. Happy Birthday and Happy Mother’s Day! ??