I have been trying to refine this blog for a little while now. My post topics have been a little all over the place. I’ve written about mental health, connection, making money, and even my favorite topic: Korea.
I have hesitated picking one topic because I don’t want to put too many rules on myself as I reignite my love for writing. As I discussed in an early post, writing was once a great passion that turned into a great source of stress for me, and I am trying to find that passion once again. So I didn’t want to do anything that might add stress into the equation and I was afraid that if I tried to follow the rules of modern-day blogging too closely (i.e. picking a high search volume and low competition niche to write about) I would start to get stressed again and eventually I’d give up writing.
So I’ve been hesitant.
But I do think it’s probably a good idea to have some focus on the blog so that my readers know what to expect from me and don’t feel like they signed up for one thing and got another.
So with all that being said, I think I’ve decided on a focus for the blog, at least for now. I want to talk about mental health, and particularly on improving mental health. I have lots of experience with this, as I have wrestled with anxiety and depression for much of my life and have made enormous strides in improving my own mental health.
I would like to share that stuff with you all.
But I don’t want this to be like one of those “I know all the secrets that you don’t know and I can fix your entire life and make everything perfect because I am brilliant and perfect” kinds of blogs. I don’t want to position myself above anyone or pretend like I have every single answer or that I am now perfect and have no problems with mental health. I am still working on it. I am still flawed. I still have my bad days.
BUT…
I have improved SO MUCH over the years and I am a completely different person than I once was. I feel SO MUCH lighter and less stressed and anxious than I once did. I have FAR fewer deeply depressed days than I once did.
I’m not perfect, but I am better. Much, much better.
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I can function relatively normally. I can engage in life in a relatively normal way. I am not an extrovert by any means, I’m still shy and quiet in many situations, but I have gained a perspective that allows me to see some of my flaws with compassion and patience and even allows me to push through some of those things that used to limit me.
Bottom line is that I just feel so much better about myself than I did for much of my life. I have a little bit more confidence and calmness. I don’t panic like I used to. In fact, I rarely have a panic attack anymore. I still get some anxiety, but it’s generally not too bad. And I’m able to get through it when it comes.
And I am continually improving. I have learned a lot of things in my journey to improve my mental and emotional state that have been crucial to my progress and I want to share those things. And I want to share them in real time. Lately I have been working so much on myself and improving so much, but it has not been a linear improvement and I have had many setbacks and frustrating and discouraging days. But I have kept going, and I have worked through things like I was never able to before.
So that is the kind of stuff I will focus on for now on this blog.
There Is Always Hope
I want to bring some light and some hope to those who suffer from the crushing and suffocating weight of depression and/or anxiety. It’s so heartbreaking to me that so many people are suffering so intensely and I want to help.
There is so much hope. Seriously. You have to know that you can get better. You can improve. You can get through this. And not just in a hold-on-for-dear-life kind of way where you barely survive each day. I mean that you can get better. You can be happy. You can feel good again. And not just in little spurts every now and then. In ever-increasing periods of time that will culminate in feeling good most of the time.
I know that is true. I am experiencing it now. The increasing part. I’m on the journey, but the pattern has been set. I have experienced the improvement and I know that it will continue as I continue down this path.
So come with me! I’ll share the things that have helped me improve and the things that haven’t. I’ll share with you how I have learned to develop resilience and how I have learned to bounce back quicker and not get derailed by setbacks.
I’ll share how I have learned to relax more and not put so much pressure on myself. I’m still not a high-energy person, but I’m totally okay with that now. I don’t try to make myself something I don’t want to be or don’t need to be.
I promise you that you will get better. You will feel the light of day break upon your dark night and guide you once again into the warmth of the sun to rest from your troubles and cares.
I’m excited about this prospect and I hope you will feel encouraged. I hope you will feel that you have an advocate and a friend. That you will feel like you belong here and that there is someone who genuinely cares about you and wants to connect with you and offer support.
Please feel free to reach out in the comments and engage with me and the other members of this community. Let’s support each other and grow together!
Remember you are always worth loving.
