How Embracing 'And' Transformed My Mental Health

About a year ago, I was coming out of surgery for my Crohn’s disease. At 21, I had made the difficult but necessary decision to remove my entire colon and live with a permanent ostomy. I was hopeful, prepared for battle and so well-supported. Truly, I handled that surgery about as well as possible. I don’t think I cried more than once. My main role, in fact, felt like making sure everyone around me was comfortable with the idea of this surgery. Even as a young kid, I was always complimented on “how well you handle your illness!” and “ You seem so on top of things!” After all, I am a senior college student with 323,987 things to do, a color-coded planner, huge dreams, and a go-getter attitude to take on the world. Most would think I do indeed have my life together. Well, guess what? Sometimes having it all together is overrated. Sometimes neglecting your emotions for the comfort of others isn’t the right thing to do. Sometimes you need to feel without apology.

perfectionism kept me in a tortured, exhausted state. With the help of my therapist, I now have a better understanding of my anxious, perfectionistic tendencies, and I am re-evaluating expectations for myself. Here’s what has helped me.1. Find a support system. I can’t do this alone.

Q: “My daughter has accommodations that let her quietly walk around the classroom, listen to music for focus, and take tests in a separate space. Several parents have complained that these accommodations are ‘disruptive’ to their children. The IEP team wants to talk about changing the plan.

who have ADHD? The science, unfortunately, is simply not there. Despite increased and hugely warranted interest, there are no studies that specifically examine menopause in females with ADHD.

1. It’s an invitation.

body language, most people mean facial expressions, gestures, posture, and other signals, like shrugging. It can also be about movement or how much space you put between you and the listener. The more relaxed a person seems, the more likely they are to be genuine and open.

With our ongoing “What Helps Me” series, The Mighty is leaning into what sets us apart from other health sites: We aim to provide real health advice from real people who live it.

The moment I realized I was pregnant, I tried to dial my emotions down. I used the term “cautiously optimistic” because I wanted to make sure that I was not overly attached to my pregnancy in case I would become one in four people who miscarry. I only told a handful of friends and always made sure to include the sentence “We are excited, but I’m only telling people who could support me through a miscarriage right now.” Even knowing the statistics, and my increased likelihood because of my ongoing battle with PCOS and hypothyroidism, I was still excited.

Five-alarm fires are complicated.

“You are not too old and it is not too late.” ~Unknown

The afternoon always understands what the morning never even suspected.Everyone tells a story about themselves inside their own head.Every day. All the time.YOU are telling yourself a story right now.And this story is simply a collection of beliefs that ultimately makes you what you are – it lays the foundation for every action you take or don’t take in life.

“I am an awful wife and a terrible person!”

Entrepreneurs take on the challenge of establishing and growing a business endeavor to achieve financial success.

Before my identity was intrinsically intertwined with my (sometimes visible) invisible illness, I identified first and foremost as a performer and singer. I started at a very young age and it became my dream to perform as my career. Long story short, my dream is in the process of coming true after working hard for many years through university and postgraduate study.

study showed that people with a wandering mind also reported worse psychological well-being. ADVERTISEMENT Therefore, staying focused is essential even when reality feels uncomfortable or painful.

I have come to think of rehabilitation as my job. Maintaining function for me is a full-time effort. From the moment I wake up in the morning until I go to bed at night, every moment of my day is designed around what my body needs.

Parents have a crucial role in helping teens succeed in their academic careers. They can achieve this by guiding and lending their support and having access to information.

Distracted driving has become a serious concern in recent years. It’s estimated that 10% of all fatal accidents are caused by distracted drivers. If you have ever been on the phone while trying to drive, then you know how difficult it can be not to get distracted and lose focus on the road ahead of you. That’s why it is important for everyone who drives (or rides in cars) to make sure they understand what is involved with being a safe driver and avoid distractions when behind the wheel or in their seats instead of riding shotgun. This article will cover some tips to keep yourself from getting distracted behind the wheel.

If you plan on wearing contacts on your wedding day, listen up!

Culture is an important aspect in every society and refers to the norms, languages, religions, likes, and dislikes of the people in a specific region. Western culture, which is also referred to as popular culture, has spread all over the world and impacted many societies and cultures such as Arabic culture.

Art is more than meets the eye.

studies and statistics have indicated that fewer and fewer Americans trust each other as time goes on. In other words, lots more people are cynical now than they were a couple of decades ago. ADVERTISEMENT For many, cynicism is a protective mechanism.

Erik Ossner is one of the coaches that we found this month and we did a little interview with him. He impressed us with his modern approach to wellness coaching. Erik is the founder of Live Breathe Fit where he trains his clients how to reach their body goals, but also, coaches them what kind […]

This collection of quotes about helping others will inspire you to lend a helping hand for nothing in return.

I was in my daughter’s middle school for a meeting with some of her teachers. As I was walking down a hallway with a few of them they stated, “Look, there is Yassy! She is cycling away. We hear she loves to go in that room and ride the bike for the whole gym class. She is in great shape.”  I looked in the room and there weren’t many other kids in there. It was new, with a glass wall, so I saw her and took this photo. It is blurry because I was trying to be quick, so as not to distract her.

If you’re struggling with feeling like your life is mundane and you don’t know your purpose, these passion quotes can help inspire you to live a different life.

These hug quotes show just how much you can communicate through hugging. 

expert in the field of sleep. Often called “Dr. Snooze,” he founded SleepSpace and worked on better understanding sleep throughout his career.

Thich Nhat Hanh was one of the most influential spiritual leaders on the planet. Revered for promoting peace and bringing mindfulness to the west. Even Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.

I went through a trying period of self-reflection around 15 years ago when I realized my marriage was no longer working for me. After much deliberation with my inner voice, I decided it was time to go. Slowly, I began laying the groundwork for my post-divorce life, including talking to the New Orleans law firm where I worked before becoming a stay-at-home mom about the possibility of returning. It looked promising.