Life is complicated, hard, and difficult to sort through. We all have problems that we could use some help with – whether we want to admit that or not. I have a strong belief that everyone would benefit from going to therapy periodically. Have you ever felt overwhelmed, sad, depressed, or so excited you don’t know what to do with yourself? Chances are, you’ve felt at least something like one of those if you’re human – now if you’re a robot, then I guess you can stop reading this and go back to your robot things you do. We as humans, though, feel things. Maybe we know what those things are almost all of the time or maybe we never really understand how we feel or why we feel the way we do – either way, therapy is beneficial. It helps us sort through our thoughts, feelings, and lives in ways that we probably wouldn’t do on our own.
I’ve, personally, been involved in therapy in one way or another for over a decade now. When I was 15, I went to “talk to someone” about my feelings because I had A LOT of feelings. Then when I was 16 and 17, I was in intensive therapy programs (inpatient with multiple therapy sessions per day type of programs). Between the ages of 17 and 21, I saw another therapist weekly, monthly, or every few months depending on what was going on in my life. Since about age 21 (which is now 7 years ago – holy crap I’m getting old fast), I’ve just made an appointment with that same therapist whenever I’ve felt like I need to go see her. So yes, I do actually practice what I’m preaching here.
Now, you might be wondering why I’m writing about this. Why do I care if people hear about my opinion on therapy when I’m getting into the world of fitness? Well, I strongly believe that the two are inherently connected. Yes, you can be physically healthy and be a wreck emotionally BUT imagine how much healthier you could be and feel if you weren’t a bit of wreck underneath it all. Or you can have a wonderful mentality, balanced perspective, and a super healthy mindset BUT without treating your body as best you can by being active and feeding it the proper foods, how could you possibly feel the healthiest and happiest you could feel?
Sure, go ahead and read those self-help books or listen to those podcasts by people who want to help change the world – they can be great ways to learn and maybe a therapist would even suggest that you do that. But there is such a big difference between learning how to be the ‘best version of yourself’ out of a book or by listening to a podcast and having another (qualified) human help you walk through this bumpy, rocky, and sometimes dangerous journey we call life.
If you’ve ever been to or considered seeing a personal trainer or applying to a fitness program because you were struggling or just needed help becoming healthier, then why would you not consider going to see a therapist to help you figure out certain aspects of your life that you may be struggling with – aka to help you become healthier? There can be such a negative connotation with seeking help from a mental health professional but there isn’t much of a negative connotation with seeking help from a physical health or fitness professional. Why is that? I hate that there is such a difference between physical and mental health in some people’s minds.
Talking about feelings can be hard. Lifting heavy things can be hard. Being vulnerable can be hard. Running farther than you’ve ever run before can be hard. Losing weight or gaining weight can be hard. Confronting the people you love the most can be hard. All of these things can be hard, but they can be a whole lot easier if you go to a professional who can give you the tools to do those things and to understand how to best approach these difficult things that happen in our lives.
Please take care of yourselves – go lift some weights, go for a walk, go talk about your feelings, go meditate, go do whatever it is you may need to do to help yourself today.
Much Love,
Chelsea
CKB Coaching, LLC 