Ciara L. is a participant in Anthesis’ Transition program – which offers individuals with disabilities support through community-integrated activities, volunteer opportunities, and job skills training. Like all of Anthesis’ programs, the Transition program is person-centered, meaning that each individuals’ needs, wants, and interests are prioritized during their experience. Since joining Anthesis in 2019, Ciara identified that one of her personal goals is to get her writing published and she has been working adamantly to achieve this. With assistance from her Community Coach, Ciara has the support and tools to further her journey in becoming a writer.
As a part of Mental Health Awareness Month, Ciara wrote the following article to share more about her journey in taking care of herself and prioritizing her mental health.
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“Keeping a good mental health has been a struggle for many. Many people world-wide struggle with mental health issues whether it be: anxiety, depression, PTSD, or anything else. I have been personally struggling with anxiety and depression since before the pandemic and only found my anxiety and depression harder to handle. Throughout the pandemic, my coach Vanessa and others in my group have been focusing on ways to help ease anxiety and by doing activities to help mental health. For those, like me, who struggle with anxiety and depression, do not give up as there is always something you can do to help yourself through the difficulty that anxiety and depression puts you through. Here are a few ways that I have been able to keep a good mental health throughout the pandemic:
Practicing Meditation
Meditation would help me whenever I would feel anxious because I would be able to take deep breaths and really reflect on things that were bothering me at that time. In the past, my therapists have suggested meditation, but I’ve never taken it to consideration, but now that we’ve been doing it lately, the meditation has really, truly helped me and it’s a way in which I can reflect on things that might’ve gone wrong during that day or just reflect on how I am feeling.
Creating Art Project and Painting
I enjoy painting because it helps ease my mind off of my anxiety and depression because when we paint, for me anyway, it’s calming. Vanessa always tells us that our paintings don’t have to be perfect, but as long as we’re painting and having fun with it, that’s all that matters. I enjoy doing the watercolor painting because we have painted some really cool things and it’s fun because it’s something I have never thought about doing before.
Practicing Yoga
When I am doing yoga, I enjoy it because I can choose the video I’d like to do during that day, and they have yoga for just about everything! I have looked up videos on YouTube pertaining to Yoga for anxiety or Yoga for depression and it shows you different stretches or exercises to do. When doing yoga, I enjoy it because I also feel like it is very calming for me and I take deep breaths while I’m stretching as well.
Since starting at Anthesis in 2019, I told my job coach Vanessa some things that I struggled with… which both things happened to be anxiety and depression and ways in which I can overcome my mental health struggles. My job coach has supported me in ways that I can express what I am feeling and has given me ways in which I can help ease the struggle that anxiety and depression has caused. Sometimes I feel uncomfortable when talking to others or when I have to do something I don’t want to do, but I feel now that I’ve overcome a lot of my struggles. I can finally be myself around others without worrying what other people might think or do. Going back to school was a big struggle with my mental health, but I’ve overcome that as well. Writing stories/fan fictions or about how I’m feeling is how I express myself, and I hope to one day make others feel the same way from reading my stories. I know the struggles I’ve gone through with my mental health are just daily challenges, but I also know that with help from Vanessa and others around me that I will tackle them day by day; it’s a daily process that I’m going to overcome.”