Day 1: @deliadesigns.tina

“We all have mental health and we all have different ways keeping that in check. The most important thing for me is to find moments for self-love wherever I can. That means, eating well, moving my body and having self-compassion. Throughout the past year in quarantine, my mind has done its fair share of mental gymnastics: Every earnest disappointment I’ve felt has been undercut with hard facts highlighting that I should actually be grateful for my still-solid situation. I'm prone to compartmentalizing my feelings and intellectualizing my grief over “little” things. However, what doesn’t really serve me right now is giving myself a hard time about my authentic emotions by rationalizing that "everyone is navigating this, so I shouldn’t feel down". Instead, I honor my emotions. I’ve worked hard to get to where I am in my career, but in many ways, I feel as if I haven’t moved, and in this climate, it’s tough to trust that I’ll get to where I’m going. I still know I’m lucky, and I know I’m also allowed to feel angry when I feel angry and sad when I feel sad—even if there are other big, pressing reasons for feeling angry or sad. By giving myself permission to feel, I have less to carry with me on my journey to get to where I'm going, regardless of when I'll ultimately get there. In the meantime, I'm enjoying the tiny moments of joy I get out of nourishing my body with a plant-based diet, listening to soulful podcast conversations, and being mindful of the way I move my body at SolidCore.”

Day 2: @journeyofahero

“This the story of a man. A man that always tries to do the right thing. He loves to help people and gives selflessly. Because of this, many consider this man a hero, but something lurks deep within him. He gives even when he has nothing to give. This has caused a darkness inside him. A deep pain that screams when he’s alone and he thinks no one will notice. Sometimes it comes out, beyond this man’s control and he gets jealous and bitter. Scared that this pain will control him, he reaches inside to see what is this noise? This voice? This screaming. What he finds leaves him in utter shock. He sees a broken mirror and what is reflected is not the strong image the world sees, but a painful vision he tries to hide. He says, “why are you screaming? Why are you so hurt?” The reflection says, “because you neglect me.” At that moment, the man is hit with the days and moments he’s sacrificed for others. He sees times when he should have rested or conserved his energy, but gave so much, too much to those he loves. He sees himself, tired, hurt, and in need. This brings the man to tears. The only words that can escape his sobbing gasp are, “I’m sorry. I love you.” The reflection stops screaming, and begins to smile at the man. This is the story of a man on a journey of self love. A journey of a hero. This is the story of Matthew Brent.”

Day 3 :@christie_ileto

“I am the best version of myself for my sidekick— and everyone else— when I take care of me of first. Carving out time, even if it’s just 50 minutes to workout or be still, allows me to embrace the chaotic moments... like juggling zoom calls, while watching press conferences, and watching the littles, ALL while getting ready for work.” 😬💁🏽‍♀️🙌🏽

Day 4: @berlyn.visual

“Sometimes anxiety and depression make can my mind feel like a battle ground. Like there are groups of thoughts and emotions charging at each other from all directions until they inevitably meet in the middle and explode. Self-doubt, hopelessness, replaying the past constantly, self-hatred, putting on a happy face, and false red-flags that would keep me safe from my fears of judgement, failure, or rejection. A few years ago I reached a point when I couldn’t take it anymore. The constant back and forth with myself everyday completely drained me. I’d never felt more broken, more alone, or more lost in my life. I felt too much shame around how I felt to talk to anyone, so I started a journal to hopefully find a release from what was controlling me everyday. At times it felt like the pen was being held by someone else. All of these thoughts, fears, and feelings about my life and myself – some I hadn’t consciously wrestled with yet – came spilling out. Journaling, combined with therapy, has improved my mental health immensely. It’s helped me to unravel my thoughts, to begin to heal from past pain, and to separate the truth from the lies my mind was trying so hard to get me to believe about myself. On my worst days, I look through the pages and see all I’ve overcome. And I remind myself I’ll make it through this, too.”

Day 5: James

“Throughout my life I have faced obstacles surrounding mental health. While men, and white men in particular, are certainly the beneficiaries of many privileges in modern American society, one of the drawbacks is the heavy shroud of silence around men’s mental health issues. For me, this has led to silencing my feelings which only exacerbated my problems. Men are often expected to have a stiff upper lip and to go it alone. In childhood, I was the victim of severe abuse and going it alone was going to kill me. Men aren’t “supposed” to be victims, but sometimes they are. That has been my experience. The process of healing is a very long and difficult one with its fair share of dark passages and bright spots, but it’s one that no one should be afraid to take because society says that you shouldn’t have any problems, or that if you do, you should handle them on your own. My message: men need help. So, don’t wait, don’t try to be “strong”, get the help you need now, because you’re worth it. “

Day 6: @midwestexpat

“Anxiety has been as consistent throughout the duration of my life as my shadow. Anxiety about my past trailing me when progress shines in my present and future, anxiety about my present and future looming long in a darkened stretch ahead of me when achievements shine behind me. “But what about what happened before? What does it mean about what will happen to you, who you are and who you’ll be, what they think about you [whoever THEY always are]?” Or, “Yes, you accomplished X, Y, or Z, good job, but what about what could/will happen after this – in the future? How will you, what will you, what can you do to make sure you’re still going to be ok then?” What about…what about…what about. Anxiety has held me back from taking healthy risks and opportunities. It has pissed on many a parade of celebrating something great about me and injected a sizeable dose of imposter syndrome into the fruits of my hard work, significantly limiting the amount of recognition and praise I give myself for overcoming most of the very things that cause anxiety in the first place. However, this past year and all of society’s collective injuries it has entailed has enlightened me to the fact that I “have” anxiety. I’ve had time and impetus to reflect more than I ever have before and in a way that I never have before. I know now that it’s a thing for me. I struggle with anxiety: social anxiety, financial anxiety, professional anxiety, health anxiety, anxiety about my general well-being and the well-being of my loved ones. It’s identified now and no longer a nebulous feeling of negativity or doom that shows up at inopportune times. And with the help of witnessing millions of others around the world come to terms with their “not being ok” via different forms of media, I’ve started to be ok with the fact that I’m not always ok, either. Now that I know what it is and what it does to me, I’m going to do what I can to manage it, live my best life regardless, and be a source of support to others."

#MentalHealthAwareness Day 1 @asheyeart “The dehumanization and lack of compassion for those struggling with chronic Lyme disease and other debilitating and complicated chronic illnesses— has left a lot of us no choice but to isolate. I have been battling this horrific auto immune disease for 11 years, and our saying goes “you don’t get it, until you get it.” The journey is indescribable. It’s a very lonely, misunderstood and disregarded battle. It mimics MS, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Lupus and yet no one talks about chronic Lyme. If there was more of a discussion, more research and more recognition from the media, doctors, the IDSA and the CDC—maybe this wouldn’t have to be a lifelong illness. So odd that a prevalent illness, especially in Pennsylvania— is so hush hush. It’s not just Lyme disease (*not pronounced “Lymes”) that’s the problem, but it’s co-infections (bartonella, babesia, etc). It can attack every organ in the body, create havoc on your nervous system and brain and even cause death. People with auto immune diseases and chronic illnesses just get treated like hypochondriacs and “crazy” people. We should be recognized for our strength—-we have the struggles that an able body person has—meanwhile fighting like hell for our health. Battling chronic Lyme has been the scariest, most challenging part of my life. It stole my past from me, and I’m fighting to prevent it from stealing my future. (If you are fighting the same battle, consider consulting with a Lyme literate doctor/ LLMD.)” #YouAreNotAlone

#MentalHealthAwareness Day 2 (@jennrossano8754, @Nikki102, Linda) “Toni Andrea Canale is the youngest of the 4 of us (Linda Milano, Jennifer Rossano, and Nicole Canale). Toni was a daughter, a sister, an aunt, and a friend to many. Toni struggled with addiction and sadly lost her battle on May 31, 2017. Addiction is a family fight and as Toni fought and struggled, so did we. We encouraged her, supported her, fought with and for her to seek recovery.  One of the most difficult things is to watch someone you love helplessly while they fight a disease that most don't consider a health issue.  Even worse is seeing her worsening mental health as she battled the stigma associated with her illness.  Substance Abuse Disorder is truly a family disease. This did not end with Toni’s passing in 2017.  We continue to grieve the loss of our sister and deal with guilt, anger and sadness which are increased because of losing a loved one so young.  We fight for Toni to be remembered for the goodness in her heart and not the struggles she faced.  We too have faced a stigma that comes with losing someone from an overdose.  Losing a sibling is often an overlooked grief despite its significance.  Your brother or sister is your first and forever best friend.  Support is often focused on the parent, spouse, or children and not the sibling. Team Toni (@teamtonicanale) was founded  to support one another but also share our sisters story in hopes of helping those that struggle with the same disease that Toni did.  People that struggle with substance abuse are loved and deserve the same healthcare, support and dignity as those that face other life altering diseases.   We miss her more than words could describe and time does not heal this kind of pain.  Time teaches us to live with it.  The pain is proof of true, unconditional love.  We feel that if we can help at least one person and family by sharing Toni’s story, then Toni’s  legacy will live on.” #YouAreNotAlone

#MentalHealthAwareness Day 3 @nicknoto “I remember when my parents would fight as a child. Having to ‘grow up’. Being told by my grandmother that, at 11 years old, I needed to do more and ‘be the man in the house’ after my parents separated. My memories were, in short, a way for me to wallow in self pity. To blame myself for not doing enough, and to sit with that long enough to wonder ‘should I even be here?’ I was 13 when I first thought of suicide. I was 18 when I first acted on it. And recently, in 2021, at 25 years old, I was self-admitted to a psychiatric hospital for my depression and suicidal thoughts. I wasn’t sure where to go, or how to heal. For so long, I used my past as a crutch. But recently, I reckoned with it. I used to feel better knowing I wasn’t alone, however I needed more than that. I needed to know that I could show up for myself. I needed to know to be kind to myself. I needed my own support before I could accept others support. I didn’t want to admit I was broken, that I needed time to heal. But, as they say, admitting is the first step.  You learn a lot of lessons when you let yourself be vulnerable. The biggest lesson, is that you have to continually and repeatedly re-learn these lessons. You have to practice, every single day (even when you don’t want to). I know it can be hard, and extremely lonely at times, but know you’re never alone. I, along with so many others, will always be rooting for you.“ #YouAreNotAlone

#MentalHealthAwareness Day 4 @vasimons “As a teenager I was often told to “calm down, what are you so worried about? And my favorite “it’s all in my head.” They weren’t wrong- it is all in my head. I have general anxiety disorder. My anxiety has reared its ugly face in various shapes and forms and at times has left a crippling effect on my mental and physical health. After my eldest daughter was born, it took over my mind and body, leaving me in a state of confusion of what was real and what was the ugly darkness of worry and fear. I was losing my mind, I felt like I was being possessed, living in someone else’s mind. I needed help. After a short trip to the hospital, I was released with a referral to a counselor. Which helped but often left me feeling like what’s wrong with me that my brain doesn’t want to work like everyone else’s. Over the next 10 years I would experience high and lows continuing to find answers to my mental health. I needed an explanation to why. I spent years trying various types of therapy, all of them helped, but I still needed an answer on why. 3 years ago, the anxiety took hold again. I lost my balance in life. Fear consumed every minute of my day. I was scared to leave the house. I began to seek additional counseling as well as medication. I found routine was key in managing my anxiety and began to develop new behaviors that helped control the anxiety. Sleep being one of them. But anyone with anxiety knows that falling asleep can be impossible at times. How do I shut off my brain from all of the worry and fear that consumes my brain during those quiet hours of the night? Reading has been my savor. Being able to escape into a fictional world and ignore the troubles of my own has been life changing. Reading before bed gives my brain the break it needs to be still and not worry, even if its for a short period. I recently got my why after receiving the result of a gene test. I’m missing 2 key genes in producing serotonin. It doesn’t change my why, but it gives me some peace. Living with anxiety has proven to be difficult. I’ve come to accept that I need to take every day as it is and that tomorrow will be a new one. And sometimes it's ok to spend hours getting lost in a good book.” #YouAreNotAlone

#MentalHealthAwareness Day 5 @sammysleeps “There have been times where I’ve felt so low, I would pick up my phone and stare at it for several minutes, and run through a mental list of friends I could reach out to, but convince myself I didn’t need to and these feelings would pass. And they would always pass and the next day I would be fine and chipper like I didn’t just cry myself to sleep for what felt like no reason at all. The frequency of these “low periods” were happening so often I knew I could no longer sustain internalizing these feelings. I could no longer blame it on my once-a-month PMS symptoms. Even after coming to that realization and going to therapy, it still took me over a year become comfortable leaning on even my closest friends for emotional support, and to be able to say out loud and acknowledge my mental health struggles. I used to make light of those “low periods” that I would have as teenager and throughout college. I’d make fun of myself for not getting out of bed for days and would chalk it up to me being “lazy” simply because I didn’t know how else to identify what was happening. It’s always been so important for me to be this independent and self-sufficient person that it ended up being to my detriment when it came to some of these personal struggles. Because I absolutely would not allow myself to rely on anyone but myself. But I am beginning to learn to lean on people and learning to be more open about what I’m going through and how I’m feeling even if doesn’t seem like there is any rhyme or reason. These photos were taken during phone calls I had with just some of the people who have been so instrumental to me.“ #YouAreNotAlone