I needed to rest my head after my September marathon of daily recording. I was a little burned out. I’ve made a few short videos for instructional purposes, but I haven’t been recording every day.
And I wondered what would help me get back on track. My goal is one video every week, not every day, but every week.
Two subjects have come up that are close to my heart and I’m sharing them with you.
One: October is Anxiety and Mental Health Awareness Month
And I found myself in a bit of a slump. I’ve lived with intermittent depression. For the past few years, I’ve been happy. Not all the time. Not every day is one when I feel great.
This recent depression relates to the pandemic and to my being an introvert. I failed by omission to reach out to people.
I can fix this if I do a bit at a time. I’m making a commitment to myself. Make at least one phone call to reconnect with someone every day. It doesn’t have to be a long phone call. I can even put a timer on it to reduce feeling overwhelmed. I have a disinclination to talking on the phone because I talk for a living.
Mental Health Awareness
And if you’re feeling unhappy or feeling challenged, there are a lot of new services available online, as well as through your healthcare provider. Start early to turn things around. Music will usually do it for me. While happy music gets me out of a sad mood fast most of the time, this gloom persisted for a couple of weeks. Now I’m feeling more optimistic. You can take control of your happiness by being kind to yourself.
Hair Odyssey: a Source of Pain and Pleasure
Travel back in time and see how my hair has changed over the years. What I once believed was permanent wasn’t. The hair on my head has been through a lot and will continue to change. Thanks to the effects of internal and external factors, my hair is a work in progress.
2012 Judy Baker perfect hair
Number Two: Hair
The hair on my head makes a difference in my identity, which is interesting to me. I know of several studies about the impact of hair on our self-image.
We as human beings, identify with our hair, both men and women, and as someone who experienced total bald baldness when I had cancer, losing my hair was probably the hardest of all my challenges.
I know that sounds crazy, but it’s true. My hair was at its best right before I got sick. When my hair came back, I had curls for about a year-and-a-half. My hair it went through different colors. It came in white, silver, black, then brown, dark brown again with gray. And I have a lot grayer.
Now this is this is my seven, seven-year anniversary, I believe. 2013. 2021 minus 2013 it’s my eight-year anniversary.
My hair isn’t the same. It didn’t come back lush and wonderful. Women struggle with hair loss and our hormones influence how our hair looks, the amount of hair we have. Many factors go into how our hair looks, feels, and grows. When women are pregnant, they get lush hair. But after having a baby about, their hair may thin, break, fall out. I know it is difficult but you are not your hair.
A friend who does heavy weightlifting recommended collagen powder. When we first met, she had wispy hair. When we reconnected, her hair had transformed. Now I put collagen protein powder into my coffee, and it has helped me fill in those gaps around my hairline.
I have always had fine hair, but (after chemo) I had no hair in spots around my temples and on the back of my head. Collagen powder made a vast difference in the quality and the amount and volume of my hair. The changes began a few months after I started taking collagen daily.
Watch my 8-minute video on the mental health, hair, and healthy habits.
RECAP
If you’re feeling down, get some help, talk to somebody, and know you’re not alone. There are three things I do for my mental health.
1. I’ve been meditating almost every day. I’m not perfect, but I do it almost every day. Exercise made a vast difference.
2. I exercise, and exercise saved me. I used medication for a few years about 30 years ago. The meds and exercise changed how I could be in the world. I’m so grateful for both.
3. Joining Weight Watchers, watching what I eat, being sure I get good nutrition, enough water, and enough sleep. That is my recipe.
Most of the time, it works. The last part of my wellness recipe: water, food, and good sleep. If you have issues with your image and weight, check out Weight Watchers, now ww.com. The program includes online support groups, connect groups and great tips. I keep learning.
Take Care of Yourself and Your Head
What is on your head may be a source of pain inside of your head. I know I could lose my hair tomorrow and I wouldn’t crumple. I am more than my hair and so are you.
Judy Baker, Book Marketing Mentor helping busy women CEOs get more bang for their book.
Find out how I can help you and sign up for free tools and resources at https://book marketingmentor.com
Happy October.
Resources for Health and Happiness
https://www.straighttalkcounseling.org/mental-health-awareness-calendar
