Episode 26 - Mental Health Days, Neurospicy Life & Self-Care with Amy Taylor
By Jessica Garrison
We’re joined with a new guest this week, the loyal, loving, kind, generous, family-oriented, progressive, open-minded, and self aware Amy Taylor. Her character traits proudly radiate through the screen as you listen, especially her generous and family-oriented nature.
While talking about self care, Amy mentions how she takes a mental health day when she feels like her body and mind need a break. This isn’t always a feasible option, but if you’re in a position to take a mental health day, it would be a good idea. Taking some time off can be beneficial in breaking up the long stretch of work or allowing your body to rest when it needs it. Even on days when I say, “this is my day off,” I still tend to find myself doing things for work or stressing about something happening in the near future. I’m still on my own journey to not only understanding when my mind needs a break but to also grant myself that break and allow myself to refuel. I have seen the positive impacts of this with my roommate who is a teacher. Teaching is an invaluable yet underappreciated career, so sometimes she plans for a mental health day where she can catch up on some much needed rest and self care.
The time Amy spends with her friends and family is also part of her self care. It’s a constant in her life, and she knows she has people in her corner who love and support her no matter what. In her 30s, Amy was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and in her 50s she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. With this knowledge, she decided to live her life out loud, rather than leaving her authentic self to disappear into silence. Amy wants people to know that they are not alone, even though life can feel very lonely at times. There is a community out there, whether it’s your family, a close group of friends, or maybe even online, where you can be loud and proud of who you are.
These other areas of her life tie into her health as well, such as taking a long hot shower when she needs it, reducing the amount of sugar she consumes, and getting the right amount of sleep. Our last blog focuses on the importance of sleep, and it’s even more important for Amy because of her bipolar disorder. She can become manic, and sleep affects you even more as you grow older. Even getting out of the house can be part of self care, and she enjoys doing things with her teenage daughter to get her out of the house, too. I can attest that when I have a long stretch of not leaving the house, I can feel myself sink deeper into depression. And the thing is, the longer I don’t leave the house, the harder it becomes to get myself out the door. It’s all about finding that balance of what you want and what you need to be the healthiest version of yourself, while still surrounding yourself with the support you need.
It may seem that I’ve covered a lot from the episode, but there is still so much more for Amy to share with you herself. Check out her resources on our website and share it with a friend!
Ways to Engage: Take a mental health day. It’s a challenge and a privilege to take time off of work when you need it the most, but if you’re able, take a day off to replenish and nourish your body the way it deserves to be.