Checking In: How’s Your Mental Health? 

Guest Blog By J Owens

 

How are your relationships with your family, friends, and colleagues?  

How do you show up in these relationships?  

Do you allow yourself to be open when needed or do you hide behind a facade?  

Are you comfortable asking for help?  

These questions came up for me last week after participating in NUSHU Group for Caregivers, and they’ve been on my mind during my morning and evening walks.

Before continuing, let me define what NUSHU Group is. It is “an intimate sharing circle of 8-10 participants, guided by a certified facilitator, that offers a safe space to say things out loud, free of fixing and advice-giving.”

Okay, now let’s dive in.

My friends who know me best… or I should say, who I think know me best, know that sometimes I’m not always the most open person. People come to me and share their secrets with me. I am the trusted confidant and secret gatekeeper. And I feel honored that I am that person for my friends and can hold space for them.

But what about me? And if you’re like me, what about you?

And what impact does that then have on the relationship?

Never having someone reciprocate holding space for you can get lonely pretty quickly.

I ask: Why are we so comfortable with being that person for others, yet we don’t give ourselves that same leeway?

Of course there are various factors to consider when thinking about these questions. But it’s important to unravel the answers so we, too, can receive.

NUSHU is a place for holding that space for you. I think of NUSHU as a gateway to helping us identify and unravel thought patterns, gain insight into our lives and experiences, and develop healthier ways of being and living. Check out the schedule– there are several Groups coming up.

About J Owens:
For nearly two decades, J has worked for some of the most prestigious federal government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Executive Office of the President. She began working and designing with florals as a creative outlet to boost to cope with her mental health.

Through her floral design company, J Lafleur, her goal is to showcase nature’s beauty in the everyday and to also encourage us to pause from the everyday and marvel at the beauty and biological lifecycle of nature. Subscribe to her weekly newsletter for all things flowers and mental well-being.