Espejo

I recently finished my bachelor in tourism and... I felt nothing. I saw people shed tears during the ceremony, parents, other students. An ocean of emotions around me. And I felt nothing. So weird, it's usually the other way around. I remember struggling to get through one class without having to go to the bathroom and cry it out, bring it all back in, and walk again into my seat, a little ashamed, a little relief. Or sitting alone, but surrounded by people, on the bus home holding back gasps, sighs and pain. Maybe I had some relief to be done after all, maybe some shame thanks to my own impossible expectations of where I was "supposed" to be by now. I didn't feel proud, or like it was the end of an era. I didn't feel accomplished. I didn't feel like the guy who gave the valedictorian speech. I wasn't moved by the teachers who said with broken voices that this would be the beginning of our now meaningful lives. What does that even mean? So surrea

Heeeyoo, I've been missing for too long. Dark thoughts invaded my mind, failure, and self-doubt, And my writing is easily discouraged by negative opinion. Maybe a little self-sabotage was involved as I had just finished my first official writing schedule. Aaaand it was gone. I realized blogger might not be the best option for my goal, which is to broaden awareness about mental health issues and struggles and to express my own problems as an outlet. I want to help people, yes. I chose to write this blog in English because I thought it would reach so much more people than my native language (Spanish). Simply because more people speak English. Makes sense, right? Yeah, but then I bumped into thousands of bloggers and vloggers giving the same message all over. Awareness is getting there. But, when I went back to work, I realized just how uneducated people are in Latin America regarding mental illness and general wellbeing. So I'm giving priority to a Spanish version of thi

One of the hardest things to accept when you are diagnosed with a mental illness (especially at a young age) is accepting the changes you must make to your lifestyle. Yes, being mentally ill pushes us to change to a healthier lifestyle; there's no point in fighting it. These lifestyle posts will talk about these changes, sometimes with baby but very brave steps.  Exercise Running A couple of years ago I found a magical book that changed my life. "The psychic power of running" by Valerie Andrews. I'll just leave a little of Valerie Andrews' wisdom:  The basic synchronicity of the body and the mind : She wrote that about the relationship between emotions and body feelings. Backed by Wilhelm Reich who argues that undischarged emotions are kept hidden in sections of the body, blocking energy flows, which make mental health possible and early emotional insecurities trigger body responses; also called psychosomatic diseases. They're not alone, Austin

One of the hardest things to accept when you are diagnosed with a mental illness (especially at a young age) is accepting the changes you must make to your lifestyle. Yes, being mentally ill pushes us to change to a healthier lifestyle; there's no point in fighting it. These lifestyle posts will talk about these changes, sometimes with baby but very brave steps.  Exercise Oh, yes, the many many benefits of working out; the XXI-century-media-obsession with being skinny and fit. Exercise is wonderful: Improved sleep Increased sex drive Stress relief Increased energy and stamina Weight reduction Increase mental alertness Improved cardiovascular fitness Improved physical endurance Resilience Reduced cholesterol (Sharma, 2006) But, there's a whole list of excuses I found online as to why people don't work out: The naggy ones: "I hate sweating","I hate sore muscles", "I hate being out of breath", "I hate people in the gym&

DISCLAIMER: THIS GUIDE IS EXTREMELY THOROUGH AND WILL BRING UP FEELINGS, EMOTIONS, AND EVEN PHYSICAL SENSATIONS. TAKE TIME TO COMPLETE IT AND SEEK A THERAPIST IF YOU CONSIDER IT NECESSARY. MAKE A SPACE TO MEDITATE YOUR ANSWERS AND A SPACE TO REST AFTER.  Self-awareness in this day and age is vital. It is the essence of your individuality. It is what makes you competitive in work or school, it's what makes you who you are. Adolescence is an important stage because it's when kids start to question their parents, their ways of thinking and start forming their own selves. However, some people never find themselves or lose themselves seeking external validation, social approval or because of other triggers like fear or guilt. This is the fourth part of the self-awareness questionnaires, to review the previous ones click on 1 , 2 , 3 . These questionnaires are designed to help you increase your self-awareness and your quality of life. We have defined who you are and where you wa