From A Black Mother: My Mental Health Matters Too

Navigating life while feeling like you’re not in the right headspace, will surely affect your everyday life and moments. I’ve had moments where postpartum depression, new life experiences and my environment affected my mental health in the worst way possible, not realizing at the time that it didn’t just affect my mental health, but it influenced how I responded to certain situations and how I managed my everyday living. Your mental health is truly a reflection of what your life feels and may even look like on the outside. I felt overwhelmed, irritable, exhausted, frustrated and melancholy. These feelings became consistent, like a new normal. I began to see and feel a huge difference within myself, and I didn’t like it. Different techniques, tools and resources have helped me prioritize my mental health and overall wellness. Try these techniques if you want to influence a balanced, healthy (in all aspects) and happy life for you and your children: Practicing mindful breathing. It’s simply settling into a relaxed focus, becoming in tune/aware of every single breath you take, in and out. Feeling the air going in through your nose, into your body, and back out your nose. It’s helped me tremendously...