Welcome to week 2 of Brightly Alex Mental Health Mondays. This week I wanted to talk about something that's been important to my coping with and healing from anxiety in this season on my story: community.
It was a good friend that referred me to my therapist.
I have a list of people to call if I'm alone and start to feel anxious, starting with my mom.
A hug from my husband seems to be the fastest way to improve my mood.
Sharing honestly and openly with close friends about my struggles has been helpful to work through some of my deepest fears.
I believe that we are communal creatures. We are not meant to walk through anything in life alone, whether it's the extreme joys or the hardest, darkest seasons. I am extremely grateful for so many people that have graciously taken me by the hand and pulled me up in the hardest moments: praying for me, taking me to coffee, letting me come over just for some human interaction, offering a phone call, checking in on me, the list goes on.
If you know someone struggling right now, maybe think of a way you could support them or check in on them today.
Communal support is important when it looks like heavy emotional honesty and also when it means getting out of the house to act like a kid for a few hours. A few weeks ago my friends took me to Happy Place and we got to be silly and let our fears melt away for the evening. Here's what it looked like:
If you have struggled with mental health before, what communal support has been helpful for you? Comment at the bottom of the page.