Three Lessons for Improving Mental Wellness

May is Mental Health Month, a perfect time to bring greater awareness to an important issue in our society.

With so many of us experiencing isolation, uncertainty, and fear, stress and anxiety levels are at an all-time high.

On my podcasts, Mountain Mantras and Positive on Publishing, I have the opportunity to interview experts on various aspects of human health.

I’ve picked three conversations: one from a positive psychology expert, the second from an anxiety coach, and the third from a celebrity clinical psychologist.

These experts are (respectively): Becky Morrison, Heather Rider, and Dr. Chloe Carmichael.

Here are the three lessons:

1) Happiness is not a destination; it is something that you can enjoy along the way. (Becky Morrison)

2) Find a community so that you don’t feel alone. (Heather Rider)

3) Recognize that “mental conditions” such as anxiety are not necessarily a bad thing. (Dr. Chloe Carmichael)

Here are more details from the conversations with these experts:

1: Happiness is not a destination; it is something that you can enjoy along the way. (Becky Morrison)

Becky is a mom, wife, and lawyer turned Happiness Coach. Her mission is to spread joy. She believes most people can live happier, more manageable lives if they understand what matters most to them and then develop a plan to do more of that and less of the rest.?

Other mantras from our interview include:

Mantra #1: The definition of the “payoff” for your efforts helps to define your happiness journey and when you celebrate (hopefully often!).

Mantra #2: Shed the “shoulds.”

Mantra #3: We determine our priorities. (Don’t judge the decisions of others about their priorities).

Mantra #4: Be honest and claim (speak publicly about) your priorities.

Mantra #5: Align your priorities and your happiness recipe with your current season of life.

Mantra #6: Approach your happiness recipe like a fun puzzle.

Mantra #7: Honor the wisdom of the body.

Mantra #8: Encourage kids to reconnect with who they are.?

Mantra #9: Know your strengths, and apply them to your happiness recipe.

Becky brings together all her learnings in her recently published book ‘The Happiness Recipe: A Powerful Guide to Living What Matters.’

If you are interested in learning more from Becky, listen to the full interview here: https://makeeverythingfun.com/radio/ep113-becky-morrison/

2: Find a community so that you don’t feel alone. (Heather Rider)

Heather Rider is an anxiety coach and Imposter Syndrome educator who personally overcame high-functioning anxiety and Imposter Syndrome while working in a demanding Tech job.

Here are some pertinent “fun nuggets” from the interview:

Fun nugget #1: High functioning anxiety is like having two layers of the brain: one is where you are present and calm, and the other is like a crazy hamster wheel.

?Fun nugget #2: To address high functioning anxiety, it is essential to address the hamster wheel (and get off it).?

?Fun nugget #3:? If YOU don’t say no, the body will say no.?

?Fun nugget #4:? Be open to signals from the universe.

?Fun nugget #5: Take consistent action towards mental wellness.?

?Fun nugget #6: Experiment with various modalities for optimal wellness.

?Heather emphasizes the value of community and listening to what your body needs. Heather works with clients from all over the world who want to take a nontraditional, holistic approach to handle stress and anxiety.

?If you are interested in learning more from Heather, listen to the full interview here: https://makeeverythingfun.com/podcast/e85-heather-rider/

?3: Recognize that “mental conditions” such as anxiety are not necessarily a bad thing. (Dr. Chloe Carmichael)

Dr. Chloe Carmichael, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and the author of Nervous Energy: Harness the Power of Your Anxiety. Her practice in New York City employs multiple therapists to serve high-functioning business executives, performing artists, and everyday people seeking support with personal or professional goals.

Dr. Chloe also shared the nine tools from her book for harnessing anxiety.

1. The three-part breath
2. Zone of control
3. Mental shortlist (1)
4. To-do list with emotions (2)
5. Mind mapping
6. Worry time
7. Response prevention
8. Thought replacement
9. Anchoring statements

Dr. Chloe demonstrates that there are many ways we can manage our stress and anxiety. Dr. Chloe was a yoga teacher before becoming a psychologist, so her practice blends the best of both meditation, movement, and psychology to support clients as they work towards emotional fulfillment, goal attainment, and success in relationships.

If you are interested in learning more from Dr. Chloe, listen to the full interview: https://makeeverythingfun.com/podcast/e084-chloe-carmichael/

Thanks for reading.

References and Resources:

Parts of this article were originally published on my podcast show-notes posts at www.MakeEverythingFun.com .

Mountain Mantras (https://makeeverythingfun.com/mountain-mantras-podcast/ ) features wellness experts to share actionable advice about how we can improve our health and performance. I summarize the takeaways from guests as “mantras” that listeners/viewers can take as actionable advice for their daily lives.

Positive on Publishing (https://makeeverythingfun.com/positive-on-publishing-podcast/) features an author and/or aspiring author and covers lessons on writing, messaging, and publishing. Each of these episodes features “fun nuggets” that act as the key takeaways or action items for listeners.

Becky Morrison: https://makeeverythingfun.com/radio/ep113-becky-morrison/

Heather Rider: https://makeeverythingfun.com/podcast/e85-heather-rider/

Dr. Chloe Carmichael: https://makeeverythingfun.com/podcast/e084-chloe-carmichael/