New Year Musings
I've been quiet when I should have spoken up. I've slowed down on holiday activities and am now focused on getting my products on Google, which is nearly as hard as setting up this website.I believe I've overcome another challenge. I might be ready to focus on creating art for the tees and this blog! I’m proud of my journey! Even without technical skills, I’ve designed tees, built an ecommerce site, and connected it to Instagram, Facebook (3-4 times), and Google. I've changed website names, email addresses, and redefined my message. The main focus was mental health, which was often difficult. I had some support from people, but Google was my main teacher. She helped me a lot! Now, I just need to run the business. I've learned a lot over the years, and I believe that learning will keep going upwards. One is never too old!
The themes so far focus on stigma and anxiety in mental health. Anxiety is well covered within the dialogue attached to tee’s, and can be expanded further later.
Foremost in my mind over the years in mental health has been breaking the chains of stigma! Here is a call to embrace mental health with compassion! Stigma is a silent force within our communities-an invisible barrier that separates an individual from understanding, support and the acceptance they deserve. Stigma thrives on fear, misunderstanding and outdated beliefs, turning mental health struggles into hidden battles. But the era has arrived for the narrative to be re-written.
Imagine being told to ‘snap out’ of a physical complaint. An absurd concept right? But for the longest time our society has treated mental illness as complaints that could be willed away! Depression, anxiety, PTSD, are all conditions as real and impactful as physical complaints, however stigma silences conversations, denies help and isolates those in need! It does not affect just individuals - it can erode communities! Stigma perpetuates shame and prevents people from seeking life-changing care. It creates a world where being vulnerable is seen as a weakness! Rather, seeking attention for mental health issues should be viewed as courageous.
The truth is that mental health is about human health. We all have a story, a struggle or a journey. Through acknowledgement of this we can dismantle stigma and build a culture of empathy, understanding and support.
Where can we begin?
-Open up the conversation about mental health, through shared experiences and normalization of the subject.
-Educate yourself and others around you, because knowledge is power and a potent antidote against ignorance and fear.
-Challenge stereotypes by speaking up when harmful dialogue and assumptions about mental health are voiced.
-Be supportive and encouraging to those seeking help and advocate for better resources in your community.
Breaking stigma together is a movement, a shift in mindset and a huge collective effort. Together, can we create a world where seeking help is viewed as strength, compassion can replace judgement and we live in a world where we are all empowered to prioritize our mental well-being!
Not one person should ever feel ashamed for taking care of their mental health. I would love to see a world where no-one feels alone in their struggles and healing is met with understanding, not stigma!
What do you think?
