Ugh. "Mental Health." I feel a twinge of annoyance when I hear people talk about mental health.
Part of me is annoyed because it is so damn stigmatized, that it blares like a neon sign alerting the whole world to someone being broken, weak, bad, or less than someone who...what, doesn't have mental health?
...that doesn't even make sense...
Which brings up another part of me that is annoyed, because we all have a mental health experience. It isn't something that only a select few crazy people experience. We, as humans, ALL have not only a physical experience, but a mental, emotional and even a spiritual experience, or dimension, to our beingness. Each of these aspects of our humanity can be experienced in a state of balance and equilibrium, as well as imbalance.
Each aspect of our humanity can be experienced in a state of balance and equilibrium, as well as imbalance.
Any human experiencing an imbalance in any of these areas will feel differently than when they are experiencing a state of balance. I realize that sounds super simplistic, but what if we have made "mental health" more complicated than necessary? What if the issue is that we are experiencing an overall state of imbalance in our approach to mental health?
One place I believe we can simplify things is to allow our experience to simply be just that: an experience. Why? Because an "experience" is an event or occurrence; it has a beginning, a middle, and an end. It will ebb and flow with time and will not remain as a singular, static condition forever. It is not who we are.
I mean, if you have a broken leg, you don't say "I am a broken leg." You know that the experience of the broken leg is just a part of the bigger picture of who you are. So the practice of saying, "I am depressed," is totally out of whack. That is not the bigger picture of who anyone is. It may, however, be part of their experience. Even if the duration of time that depression is present spans weeks, months or years, it will not remain at a constant level that entire time. A person's beingness far exceeds their experience of an imbalance in health - no matter whether it is physical, mental, emotion or otherwise.
A person's beingness far exceeds their experience of an imbalance in health - no matter whether it is physical, mental, emotion or otherwise.
As we learn to talk about our mental health as part of our experience, we create space between the thing we are experiencing and who we are. That is where we can have a transformed experienced and deepen into the truth of who we are. The truth, I believe, is that there is nothing about who we are that is broken, missing anything, incomplete, less than, or wrong. And...when we experience a broken bone, overwhelming anxiety, high cholesterol or any other condition, we are invited to tend to our humanity with compassion, kindness and all the tools that exist to bring our experience back into one of balance and equilibrium.
You are not alone on this journey. If you experience an imbalance in any way, and would like support as you walk forward in life, please reach out. I would be honored to serve you as you seek health and wellness.
Send me an email, or comment below.
Sending you so much love and light for the journey. Love, Rachel
Rachel Sartori is an Embodiment and Wholeness Coach. She is kick-ass and heart-centered whether she is showing up as a workshop/retreat facilitator, a private coach, a writer or a speaker. Rachel invites you to exercise your soul, and participate in the healing of your own heart and the world around you. With Rachel, all is welcome, all the time.
Read: Exercise Your Soul: Ignite Healing and Wholeness in your Life and Live from the Inside Out
Follow Rachel:
Comments