It’s okay, to not be okay.

Thursday, January 28, 2021 was Bell Let’s Talk day; a day to encourage an open discussion regarding mental health and to hopefully decrease the stigma around mental health concerns and struggles. We all, at one point or another have struggled with anxiety, stress, depression, and/or grief and loss; just to name a few. It’s not a sign of weakness if you have, it’s just life, and sometimes life can become overwhelming. We all do things to take care of different parts of ourselves, and we go to professionals for help with that particular need: doctors when we’re not feeling well, hair dressers for a cut and/or color, an esthetician for manicure, pedicure, and/or waxing, massage therapist for help releasing physical tension, and even a mechanic for car help. So why not go to a counsellor or psychologist to take care of our brain health!? According to the Psychologist Association of Alberta, psychologists study how we think, feel, and behave and help people understand, explain, and change their behavior. They are experts in making sense of thoughts, emotions, and behaviours and what steps are necessary for change in each area. We also know how to take care of our physical health: exercise, eat healthy, drink water, go for walks, and rest, and we know that this will have a positive impact on our mental/emotional health, but sometimes we just need that extra bit of help. A psychologist can be that extra bit of help on the side to help you look, think, and feel better about yourself. Maybe, we can start to see therapy as a form of self-care…a way to take care of ourselves from the inside out, instead of hiding the fact that we seek professional help for our brain health.