We are more resilient, and cope better, when we are connected. When a weight is shared, a load is eased. Why then, is it so hard for us to reach out?
Speaking from personal experience, these were my reasons:
- I was ashamed of being the mum who had a daughter experiencing mental health issues.
- I was too exhausted to think about talking, let alone finding the time.
- Making time to reach out confirmed the thought I didn’t want to acknowledge – there is a problem here.
- I prescribed to the, “I’m strong, therefore asking for help makes me weak,” theory.
- I didn’t want to be seen as weak.
In the end, I did reach out. And I was perfectly received. Caught, held and listened to. And when that safe space was there, I was able to receive the gentle nudges I needed to move through what was my current situation:
- A daughter experiencing severe depression and anxiety
- Solo parenting – this was new
- My mum, who was recovering from her own experience of depression
- An overwhelming workload
- A budget that never added up no matter how much I squeezed it
- Twins who also needed support and love
- Anxiety induced insomnia
It took me that long to ask for help? Not only was I cheating myself, I was also cheating my family. By not stepping up to ask for help sooner, had I made everything harder for us?
Coaching helped me to:
- Forgive myself
- Be kind to me
And it also let me:
- Leave the past behind, no more rumination
- Drop the catastrophic thoughts of the future
- Enjoy the present and be fully there
- Embrace the magic of the growth
- Rediscover the joy of parenting my gorgeous kids
And I tell people the one thing I learned and know 100% to be true … Getting caught in the whirlpools of your brain doesn’t help anyone.
Book in today for an exploratory call with me and share your journey as you make the changes that will allow you to be the parent you want to be.
Getting help is a sign of strength, not an indication of weakness.