You are not alone

Hello gorgeous. Today is Bell Let's Talk Day, and while I'm not advocating you switch to yet another awful Canadian telecom, I agree with what they're doing and we should all talk a little bit more about mental health.

So here goes. About three years ago I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety and a panic disorder. If you've never had a panic attack, good for you, honey— you're killing it. For context, it feels like being bear-hugged by an angry Hulk. I really can't recommend it. I had my biggest panic attack at an exotic location, the Hero Burger at King and Bathurst.

I was a master at the facade, you'd never have guessed from my Insta that I was struggling (unless you fancied yourself a dry burg in Nov of 2016). In the last few years, I've worked hard at learning how to befriend my own brain (with a bunch of help from loved ones and real pros), and I've told my story of anxiety, depression, and burnout publicly— 'cause that's the only way to break the stigma, baby.

If you're struggling, I see you. You are not alone.

I have a bit of a mantra that helps with my anxiety. Well, actually, it's not mine, it's Rubeus Hagrid's:

Anxiety likes predictability, planning, and control—but we can't predict the unpredictable— so our brains make shit up to stress about.

Here’s the thing, our anxiety isn’t creative enough to predict the future. Every time we think we know what will happen the universe is like WRENCH and smacks us in the face with something we didn't prepare for.

The universe will toss wrenches into all of our carefully laid plans. The life part is what you do with the wrenches. They can be blunt instruments used to inflict pain, or tools used to build your future.

That is the only choice any of us has: how we choose to meet what comes on this bonkers and beautiful trip.

In the meantime, just keep breathin'.