May is Mental Health Awareness Month so I couldn’t let this time pass without discussing the topic. We all have minds, so why is mental wellness so taboo?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Two years ago, I hit one of my lowest mental health points to date. It turns out that taking time off University was the best thing I ever did for my mental wellness.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
I hit pause on my formal education in 2017. I was attending Brown University as a full time student at the time, working 3 jobs (2 on campus 1 online) and trying to be a real human being.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
This stress on top of the lifetime of depression and anxiety I came to college with, made me crumble. I thought that my life was normal and that experiencing burnout was just part of \u2018the college experience\u2019. These unhealthy behaviors lead to a one month stay in a psychiatric facility.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Although I desperately needed it at the time, I was ashamed to take a break like this. I grew up overachieving and was even the valedictorian of my high school class. I come from a small Caribbean community where folks rarely went to college, much less an Ivy League University.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
So to tell my family that I planned to take time off \u2018for my mental health\u2019 and \u2018to find myself\u2019 seemed crazy. They thought I lost my mind. They thought I dropped out. I kinda did too.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Looking back at this time off, I am so proud of myself. The things I\u2019ve learned, people I\u2019ve met, places I\u2019ve traveled to, endeavors I\u2019ve taken on have only led me to the real me. A healthier me.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
I am now living my dream of being in New York, working as a wellness-based digital marketing consultant and writer. I have also been presented the opportunity of incorporating yoga into the nannying work I will do this summer. I am happier, healthier (and more scared) than I can ever remember being.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
These days, I still have my bad mental health days\u2014 we all do. However I am in a space where I know the value of hitting pause and dealing with these issues as they come up instead of repressing them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
I cannot stress the importance of me prioritizing my mental wellness over everything else. Your mental strength serves as the foundation for everything you do. Don’t let this society convince you otherwise.<\/p>\r\n
<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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