“Our threshold for seeking help needs to be low.”

Wow, right?

Today on the podcast I was joined by friend and expert, Dr. Sarah Ashitey, a board-certified physician based out of the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex. 

Dr. Ashitey wears many hats as a medical professional, and she is passionate about mental health, which is the subject of today’s podcast. 

I feel my purpose is to help people live out the best versions of themselves. It starts with mental well-being. Without that, you can’t even begin to take care of the physical body. I feel blessed to know what I’ve been called to do.

Dr. Ashitey

Way too often, our mental health gets placed on the back burner. And I don’t know about you, but we need to do better. I realized I needed to do better when I was always saying “yes” to everyone else, which in turn, meant saying “no” to myself. I had to put boundaries in place, and take time to really get to know myself and what I wanted from life, to be happy and feel complete.

As a former “go, go, go” type of gal, my mental health started to decline when I stopped making time for myself. It’s no secret I am a rehabilitated “yes girl.” I always put work, friends, family, relationships, and philanthropy before myself. Before long, my cortisol was through the roof, as I was stressed, anxious and snappy. Quarantine really helped to ground me, and for that I am grateful. I have said it before and I will say it again: being forced to be alone with my thoughts was a powerful tool – it meant prioritizing myself more. 

These days I still get anxious (as any professional working in advertising might,) but I do a much better job managing. I can’t speak for everyone but things that helped me manage not only my anxiety but overall mental health included:

• Having a routine
• Getting quality sleep
• Eating less shit – sorry but greasy fries and nights of binge drinking takes a toll on your mind and body
• Getting movement…I’m not an olympian but I do my share of yoga, pilates, and cardio
• Limiting my caffeine and doing more tea
• Therapy
• Journaling…there’s something to be said of putting pen to paper
• Supplements
  • him and hers are crushing the supplement game. I utilize their digestion probiotics and their mind unwind.
    • Mind Unwind is loaded with my faves including L-Theanine and Ashwagandha which give your body a natural source of calm without any funky after effects

Listen, I don’t want anyone reading this to think I am perfect and don’t have bad days, because I for sure do. I mean, this year alone brought heartache, loss, and various scares with my family – but it’s a process. You have to take things one day at a time some days. It’s all about progress – not perfection. You’re human. Bad days are okay. Just don’t stay in those days. Know that things get better and people want to help you. And there is nothing wrong with needing help.

If you don’t know where to begin, here are some great resources

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org
• NIMH: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-help 

Check out today’s episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.