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Spending time with my sister reminded me of how important it is to take care of each other
March 2020 was a hard month for my family. Especially my sister, who struggles with anxiety and depression.
The timing of the pandemic hit just as she was at her lowest point and felt like the world was against her. Battling to deal with everyday life, she was spiraling downhill. Thankfully, she reached out for help. I did everything I could to support her, including listening to her, lending an ear when needed, and providing encouragement.
In the end, she found relief by literally taking small physical steps to improve her mental health. Her therapy and medication were helping, but she needed to wean herself off this as it was not working as well as she hoped. While it was a challenging experience for all of us, it was also eye-opening.
It made me realize how much impact we can have by simply lending a hand to someone who is struggling. “Pay it forward” is a phrase that we often hear but may not fully appreciate the impact you can have on a person.
She was not alone in the mental health issues that were exacerbated by so many unknowns during the global crisis.
I worried about her mental state and checked in with her regularly. I offered to be there for her to talk things through and provide any support she needed. Just knowing someone was there listening and willing to help make a world of difference for her.
I was finishing up my contract at work and found my days unstructured. I like structure in my day. The beauty of self-employment is downtime. So we set a daily challenge.
Small steps towards daily exercise
Along with her mental health issues, she suffered from physical health problems. She was tired all the time and found it hard to motivate herself to do anything. But she was determined to make a change.
We worked out every morning, with the help of ‘Jenny Ford Step across America’. This is a low-intensity workout called LISS. Perfect, as you can work out and have a chat at the same time. Every morning we connected over face-time and synchronized our videos.
At first, she could only manage 10 minutes before she was too tired to continue. It was hard at first, but she kept at it. During the initial weeks, she had to sleep the rest of the day from exhaustion.
This daily exercise provided a focus on something positive. She talked about how she wanted to get better, which was really motivating.
As we virtually walked around the states of America, we could talk about some places that I had visited on my travels. This distracted some of the negative thoughts entering her mind for a short while.
I would motivate her to keep going, and when she saw her own progress, each session became a minute longer. It only made her more determined to keep going.
Gradually, she was feeling more energetic, and I noticed a change in her mindset. She became less negative and more positive. She started to see the possibilities for her life instead of dwelling on the past.
Small achievable goals
As she felt more awake during the day, she started by setting micro-goals to achieve, simple ones, like getting dressed to washing dishes.
Our daily check-in exercise sessions developed into business coaching sessions. She wanted to use her creative artistic talents as a therapy to get back on her feet.
And that’s exactly what happened. By talking about her small-business goals and creative ideas, she woke up feeling more inspired and ready to face the day.
The mini-goals throughout the day kept her motivated and focused, and by the end of the day, she had accomplished more than she thought possible. Not only that, but the whole family noticed a change; she was happier and more energized.
Thinking about the future
Planning for the future can be a daunting task, but it’s important to think about what you want in life and how you can make it happen. For her, planning for the future meant a tremendous sense of overwhelming brain fog.
Taking control of her life and becoming a small business owner was something she never imagined.
I recommended a marketing course to take in her own time and put her in touch with a friend who set up her own jewelry business to chat about how she got started.
Gradually she become more self-confident and connected with other creatives and built a network around her.
However, sometimes she hit obstacles that would knock her back, but she maintained consistency with her exercise despite these challenges.
We all face challenges in life that can knock us down. For some people like my sister, these challenges can be too difficult to overcome on their own. That’s Why it’s so important to be aware of the signs that your mental health is suffering or recognize it in others. If she didn’t hit all her goals in the day, it would not matter so much. It was just one little blip.
Learning and growing
It’s been amazing watching her grow and learn new things. She has always been creative, but learning how to do social media marketing and stop-frame motion has taken her creativity to a whole new level. Seeing her put her artwork and skills out there for the world and getting lots of positive comments on her efforts.
She would worry so much about what people thought of her art that she had to overcome her social anxieties. Growing with confidence, she is now successfully selling her jewelry at market stalls and pop-up shops. It takes a lot of courage to set up a new business during a pandemic.
New beginnings
Even when things get tough, you don’t focus on the negative past, but look forward to the many doors and opportunities that have made themselves known to you. You lean on us for support and we are there if you need us.
Now, not so blinkered by your self-doubt, you’re now one of those people you aspired to. Keep it going. The journey is just beginning. I’m proud of you, little sis!
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