MAY MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and I thought it would be important to acknowledge it and talk about why I value mental health. I’ve always been an advocate for self-care as someone who deals with social anxiety, impostor syndrome and seasonal depression. I also have family members that are dealing with mental health illness till this day, so this subject matter holds close to my heart. In some way or another, I truly believe that we all have our own journey with mental health and can relate to one another since it’s part of life.

Recently, it seems as though people are advocating for mental health awareness more and more and that makes me happy. However, I still think we can do more especially removing the stigma behind the illness and raising support, instead of judgment. There are resources that the National Alliance on Mental Illness has on their website, so if you’re curious to know how you can get involved, you can check them out here.

*Outfit details with affiliate links: Blue Jumpsuit (Shein) | White Jumpsuit (Shein) | Heels (Ted Baker)

I battle with social anxiety though that may surprise people, considering how outgoing I appear in social settings. Since I attend a lot of events for my work, I have been working on getting more comfortable with crowds, but there are still times that I psych myself out based on my concerns with what others think of me or perceive of me upon first impression. My anxiety comes in waves and sometimes they interrupt my sleep routine, causing me to experience insomnia. There are also times where it interferes with my daily routine and I find it hard to focus or relax. With all that being said, I wanted to share some of the things that I have sought out to help with my anxiety:

• Meditation: The power and benefits of meditation has immensely improved my anxiety. I try to dedicate at least 15 minutes in the morning for myself and I have been into crystals, tarot cards and even candle lighting. For me, the setting is extremely important as it helps to calm my mind and free me from any distractions. I also recently discovered the app Oak and I love using it for the guided breathing techniques as well as the guided meditation sessions. If you’re in NYC, you can also check out meditation studios like Inscape and M N D F L.
  
• Acupuncture: Now I know this might throw some people off, but acupuncture is a great way to release stress and has proven to decrease anxiety. I would recommend trying a session at WTHN,  an acupuncture studio located in NYC that believes in ancient healing for modern life with acupuncture + all-organic herb blends (I also interviewed Dara Mersky, who is the head of marketing at WTHN on my podcast, The City Confessions, so feel free to listen to it here).
• Massages: Who doesn’t love massages? I’m a huge fan of massages because they’re a great way to pamper yourself and that in itself is self care. I am guilty of constantly running around and putting others first. I need to remember that it’s OK to treat yourself every now and then because if you’re not 100% there mentally, then everything else in your life suffers. My favorite places to massages in NYC are Haven Spa (I would suggest The Bitch Massage and yes this is actually the name of it!) and a Lymphatic massage at IMD Beauty Spa.

• Wellness Services: I also believe that you can help reduce anxiety or stress due to your diet and paying closer attention to your wellness. I recently discovered Clean Market, a wellness studio that is “​dedicated​ ​to helping​ ​you​ ​feel​ ​your​ ​best​ ​by​ ​providing​ ​you​ ​with​ ​purposeful​ ​nutrition,​ ​effective​ ​products,​ ​and innovative​ ​services​ ​to​ ​optimize,​ ​energize,​ ​and​ ​transform​ ​your​ ​life.” There are amazing services including IV Drips that cater to your needs, an infrared sauna, whole body cryotherapy and cryo facials, and a market and functional tonic bar. I can’t rave enough about this place and I’m happy to share a code ‘CLEANCONFESSIONS25‘ for 25% off your first service!

Since we are halfway into May, I urge you all to prioritize self care and mental health this month. It would be great if you guys can also make an effort to share that it is Mental Health Awareness month and find ways to spread awareness through your social channels or even simply checking in on your friends and family.