REAL TALK— The holidays can bring up A LOT of anxiety for people.

You go to a family gathering and end up surrounded by different personalities and a whole lot of opinions. Not to mention that one family member who comments on every part of your personal life that you do NOT wish to talk about or possibly have different views on.⁣

It’s been just over a month since my grandmother died. While this has not been my first journey through grief, it feels like the most impactful one. She was my twin flame, my kindred spirit, my soulmate— my days feel a tad dimmer since her passing. As I write this, I am in the trenches of grief, but here are my reflections for if you find yourself standing in my shoes. 

The leaves are changing colors, the days are getting shorter, and the air is getting cooler, which means falls is here (and that all the mosquitos will be going away soon, too).

Every change of season is a great time to check in with yourself and take inventory of how you’re doing. How are you? How have you been physically? How has your mental health been? How are the relationships in your life making you feel? Asking yourself these questions can help you figure out if you need to make a change, seek advice/help, or see a doctor.

College was challenging, to say the least. My friends and I struggled to juggle our classes alongside work and extracurricular activities responsibilities. We became desperate to make the best use out of every second in the day. While I resorted to sipping coffee to get through my evenings, some of my friends were drawn to the underground illicit trade of prescription pills.

A Personal Story of Addiction: This blog gives insight into one person’s experience with a loved one’s recovery. The Mental Well aims to bring to light the many experiences and options available to those battling substance use disorder and mental illness.

I had a busy week. We had our niece and nephew staying with us for six days along with two guest dogs. Definitely a full house! We had a great time doing all the fun things our community has to offer, but by the end of the week I was exhausted.

Read Brittni’s full Community Connections interview here

Watch Alex’s full Community Connections interview here.

Read Christina’s full Community Connections interview here

Read Josephine’s full Community Connections interview here

Read Abi’s full Community Connections interview here

Read Josh’s full Community Connections interview here

Watch Kelly’s full Community Connections interview here.

A long time ago, I was told that you can only have five priorities on your plate at a time. And, at the time, I had 11 things: I was working 3 jobs, studying to be a yoga teacher, dancing professionally with a dance company, a boyfriend, friends, family, a dog, and a few other priorities all piled up on top of each other.

Read Emily’s full Community Connections interview here

Read Michael’s full Community Connections interview here

Read Tricia’s full Community Connections interview here

My mother died when I was 29. She wasn't sick, and while it was sudden it also wasn't a huge surprise that she died. She just never woke up one day.