Awake Content Interview

Sarah and I have know one another since we were 8 years old,

Growing up in the small town of Wawa in Northwestern Ontario, riding bikes & swimming in freezing cold lakes; Sarah & I bonded. As a child, I knew Sarah was a little different than the rest of us. She felt like an old soul & I was drawn to her. I’m so thankful we’ve stayed in touch because even to this day, I’m ecstatic & proud to see what she’s doing with her life & this amazing blog she’s created. When Sarah was 9, she was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. It was heartbreaking. But even though she had to be in a wheelchair most days, I always remember her smiling, being positive & making me laugh constantly. Talk about an inspiration!

When I discovered Sarah had created a blog on mental health, I was frantic to read every post! (which I have) She blows the doors on depression, anxiety & mental health wide open, while making her readers feel comfortable & putting a positive spin on each post. She has created a safe space for those who want to talk about their mental health & know that they aren’t alone.

First off, tell me about the inspiration for your blog? And why the name ‘Awake Content’?

The inspiration for Awake Content originated from reflecting on my own history with mental illness. I struggled with my mental health a lot in my teenage years & I felt incredibly lonely majority of the time. People never really openly discussed mental illness when I was in high-school, so I dealt with it quietly & had nobody to really talk to about everything that I was going through. After reflecting on it all, I felt as though I had been sleeping through my entire life & that I had only truly woken up once I started putting my mental health first, being authentic about who I am & what really makes me, me. So that’s really what Awake Content is about – waking yourself up & having the courage to be who you are unapologetically while taking care of yourself. 

Why do you think it’s important to talk openly about mental health?

With all of the societal pressures that comes with living in a digital world nowadays, I feel it’s important now more than ever to break the stigma & openly discuss it. With social media playing such a big role in our lives, it’s easy to get caught up in envy & beat ourselves up for not living a ‘perfect life’. We are only human, we all have a tendency to feel insecure from time to time, but because it is so easy to scroll through how other people portray their lives, it becomes even easier for us to jump to comparison & feel these negative emotions. So when we openly discuss our mental health & are honest with ourselves, we can reflect that authenticity online which will in turn show others that it’s not always rainbows & butterflies; that we don’t have to paint this fake reality. Mental health is never linear – there will always be rocky waters ahead. It’s up to us, by being transparent about it all, to show people that & change the way the world views mental health. 

Has sharing your stories and feelings help you deal with your mental health?

Absolutely! I’ve always been one to write in my journal, probably since elementary school, about my thoughts & feelings. It helped me decipher what was really going on. So when I started Awake Content, it only felt natural to me to write about my own experiences which helped me, but has also reached out to a lot of others who have gone through something similar. It’s a win-win! I will always encourage others to write, whether it be online or in a private journal (as some things are meant to be kept personal!) 

DO YOU THINK IT’S POSITIVE THAT THOSE IN THE PUBLIC EYE ARE SPEAKING MORE ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH?

One of my inspirations is Demi Lovato for that reason alone (among many other incredibly traits she embodies). Her being as unapologetically herself as she is, as well as being a huge advocate in the mental health community is something that has inspired me for such a long time & is the reason I had the courage to put out my first blog post. I’m not really sure what exactly it was that I was afraid of, but I was incredibly nervous about launching my website. Seeing people like Demi trying to make the world a better place inspired me to stick by what I wanted to do & gave me that extra push to put my words out into the world. 

DO YOU STILL THINK THERE IS A STIGMA AROUND MENTAL HEALTH?

I do believe it is something that has gotten better over the years. As I said before we do live in such a digital age now where we have access to much more information, so now that it’s being talked about online it is easier to discuss it & educate people. But I also think we still have a long way to go. 

What are some ways you cope when dealing with a panic or anxiety attack?

I am prescribed lorazepam for the extreme moments, but I can confidently say that within the last year I only had to use it 5 times! But when I am able to manage it independently, I try to ride the wave. I’ve found that if I try to fight it, it only ever makes it worse because then I have the tendency to judge myself. Acceptance is key. So when I am in the middle of an anxiety attack, I internally tell myself “Alright, you’re having a panic attack. You’ve gotten through it before you can get through it again.”

I’m usually carrying a water bottle around with me so I drink some water and focus on my breathing. I have this app on my Fitbit that allows me to follow its breathing pattern, which helps a lot. When I notice my thoughts racing, I don’t judge myself, I just bring myself back to focusing on my breath until I’ve calmed down a bit. Personally, how long it takes depends on what it is that triggered it, I’ve had some days where it’s consistently throughout the day. When that happens, the best thing I’ve found I can do is just allow it to happen until it passes & once it’s passed try to keep myself productive & occupied in the present moment so that I’m not too caught up in my thoughts. But overall, what’s important to remember is that it. will. pass. At some point it has to be over! 

Do you think self-improvement books help?

For me personally, they’re life altering. The first book I ever read was ‘You Are a Badass’ by Jen Sincero, which Kalyn Nicholson (a YouTuber that I’ve been watching for about 3 years now) had inspired me to pick up. Since then I’ve been finding myself going back to Indigo as soon as I finish a book to pick up another one!  I have a growing collection of them. But I always tell people that if you’re not into it, you’re just not. You don’t have to force it. Some people don’t read books & that is fine! There are other alternatives to self-improvement books like audiobooks, podcasts, blogs or even YouTube videos. But I definitely recommend exploring one of those options.

Do you think mental health in the workplace should be talked about more?

Without a doubt in my mind. Before the job that I have now, I struggled a lot with my mental health specifically in work environments – that’s where a lot of my anxiety stemmed from. Mainly because I had a really bad experience with my first two jobs.

My first job was very briefly at McDonalds. I had gotten through the training period, or as I like to put it, barely survived it. The managers there were beyond disrespectful & not mindful of how anxious I was whatsoever. To put it simply, I had a mental breakdown at work & left. Then my second job was at a gas station. My manager had been training me on the cash & once again, wasn’t very respectful or patient with me. I could feel myself beginning to have an anxiety attack, so I excused myself & went to the bathroom to try and calm myself down. I couldn’t, so I tried to speak to my manager about it, but he wasn’t having it. So once again, I left.

If they would have been more understanding & patient, they wouldn’t have lost an employee. I am grateful that my last two jobs over the last 4 years I have been surrounded by such understanding & lovely people. I think it would benefit employers greatly if they took the time to educate themselves on mental health in the workplace, because there are many people who struggle & is the reason lots of people leave that environment. I feel as though there would be more loyal, hardworking employees if they knew how to handle certain situations & simply learn patience. 

Finally, you talk a lot about self-care in your blog posts, why do you think self-care is important? What advice can you give to work on self-care?

There are actually so many different forms of self-care, which is why I speak about it so consistently! Self-care can be both physical & mental, and doesn’t necessarily require such tangible, luxurious things. Sure, taking a bath & lighting a candle can be labeled as self-care, but so can cutting off someone toxic in your life! Self-care boils down to one thing & one thing only – being conscious and present in doing what is best for yourself. Book that doctors appointment, stop dating that piece of shit who doesn’t treat you the way that you deserve, call that one friend you haven’t spoken to in months, go to the gym, pick up a book & educate yourself on something important to you, go to bed early so you get a proper sleep for a change. Self-care isn’t really anything set in stone because it is all about how you want to take care of yourself & what you feel will help you become a happier & healthier individual. So my advice? Do more of those things, because why wouldn’t you?

*There are so many people that live with mental health issues but don’t exactly know how to cope with it. If you or anyone you know is suffering from mental health or thinking about suicide, talk to a family member, a friend or call any of the hotlines posted here. You can also send me a message if you need someone to talk to. You are not alone.