Goodmorning Everyone and Happy Monday!

I know most of you are either just now waking up for the morning to begin this upcoming work week, or you’re just now coming in from your first night of work for this week. Most of us as a whole dread Mondays and I completely understand. I used to hate waking up for work and school on Monday mornings. It just seemed like the weekend was so far away and it always came so slowly but left so quickly. But since I have started focusing on Mental Health Awareness every Monday, I have been looking forward to this day every week ever since.

Lately, I have been ghost when it comes to our #MentalHealthMondays campaigns and posts though, and I do apologize. This has been a time period in my life where my focus has either been on important things in my personal life, or I have just been completely overwhelmed with the amount of stuff I need to get done not only for myself but also for DE as well which is my main focus before anything else. But I am here this morning, and that is all that matters at this point, moving forward.

Today, I am highlighting and sharing with you JOYDayMovement’s new Guidebook that I have been using since the first week of July to help me get back on the right path of life itself. With this guidebook, it has enabled me to journal more often, specifically on Mondays to begin the week. Check out my Reuniting With Yourself journal entry from last week below:

Week #1: July 02-July 08, 2017
Q1. What Do You Miss About Yourself?
A1: I miss being able to not have to worry about things. I miss my pure happiness with life in general. I miss my consistent laughter and joy. I miss my natural high. I miss my fighter in my who would never just give up on things and people. I miss my friendly attitude. I miss “me”.

Ironically, this question has been repeating itself in my mind for some time now and this is the first year it has ever happened for me in my life. There are so many things I wish I could get back to mentally that came fairly easy for me when I was younger. The main thing I really miss about myself would be my lack of worry. There has just been so many bad things happening in the world that I can’t help but to worry about my own safety for starters, money and finances would be a close second worry in which I don’t think that will ever go away unless the good Lord blesses me with a big lottery win in the very near future. Third worry would be my friends and family. I worry about them more than I worry about myself. You never know when it is your time to go home, and with the way my generation (early 20s to early 30s) have been dying lately, I am very fearful of getting that phone call that someone I love has passed away. With my large amount worry, it naturally brings fear of certain things and situations, which then eliminates my own joy and happiness with life itself.

Q2. Do You Have People Holding You Back?
A2: Some have been and are the reason behind me missing parts of myself. I find myself making everyone else happy more than myself. I call and text those around me more than they do for more, if at all period to be honest, unless it is an upcoming event they want to attend or they are bored and just want “company”. Me wanting to make everyone else happy, has drained happiness from “me”.

This question is one that keeps repeating itself in my life simply because I am not watching the company I keep very closely or more effectively as I should be. I have had some terrible people around me before, so this lesson is not a new one but a repeating one at this point. You really are the company you keep, not literally but figuratively. How your friends think can be passed onto you if you’re not careful. If they are making bad decisions and treating others any kind of way, then of course after a while of hanging out with them, you will start believing that this activity and their actions are ok. You will then end up acting and behaving in the same manner as them. You will also begin to start thinking just them as well. If their thoughts are negative all the time, that mental negativity will be passed right along to you.

Week #2: July 09-July 15, 2017
Q1. How Can You Better Protect Your Peace?
A1: By saying no and actually meaning it. Distancing myself from stressful people, things, and situations.

I have had a hard time with sticking with my word when it comes to me saying “no” to certain things. I have a bad habit of looking for the good in everything. Growing up, I always thought that everyone and everything had some form of “good” in it no matter what they’ve done in the past or were even doing at that very moment. But with a rude awakening, I learned that everything and everyone can not be saved. Everything and everyone are not good, not even fair in life. I have to keep my word and continue saying no. Right along with saying no and meaning it, I must distance myself from those very things and people I am saying no to in order for me to not feel tempted or motivated to changing my mind.

Above is my entry for today/this week. I will be back next week with my next entry. These three questions alone have improved my way of thinking towards bettering myself and just getting back to a more happier “me”. For more information on this journal activity check out JOYDayMovement website and subscribe to their site for continuous updates on future programs, events and journal activities for the remainder of the year.

*All Photography is provided By JOYDayMovement*

P.S. Check out some previous articles written by me (Keara Douglas) on Mental Health Awareness for JOYDayMovement below:
House Cleaning
Reality Check