Under Construction - MHWA Retreat

“It's up to you today to start making healthy choices. Not choices that are just healthy for your body, but healthy for your mind.”
Source: healthyplace.com

I highly agree with this quote. Adapting to life and reaching your goals, in general, takes effort; nothing happens magically. As I matured, I learned that I had to put in effort toward change if I wanted my life to get better.

“Stress, anxiety, and depression are caused when we are living to please others.”
Source: healthyplace.com

This quote is my favorite because I find it the most relatable to my experience. I've spent so much of my life trying to be what I thought others wanted me to be that I forgot to think about who I wanted to be. I'm not talking about where I want to be in my career and what I expect out of my life; I'm talking about how I feel most comfortable perceiving myself. I don't want to believe I have to look and act like an anime princess for people to want to hire me anymore. I want to be confident that I can snatch a desirable career by presenting myself as who I truly am: a dedicated, hard-working, passionate, independent woman. If I think I need to be somebody else for someone to give me the time of day, then I should walk away; I've had it with thinking I need a bigger butt or more shapely waist for others to give a damn about me.

"I have to wear a mask every day."
Source: themighty.com

I understand what this quote means: Some people feel as if they need to hide their true selves. My problem with this quote is that it admits to a coping mechanism that I don't like. I've always hated the idea of wearing a mask to hide your true self and your true feelings. To me, the thought of wearing a mask feels oppressive, like I'm being obligated to stifle the expression of my true self. While I understand that I can't lash out at my chauvinist classmate every time something stupid comes out of his mouth, I don't want to hold it all in, either. In fact, bottling up my frustrations is unhealthy. I know that a lot of people who also wear masks are often better at deciding when and how to snap, but I'm not great at that.