trust your gut, know your worth.

Because life is too short to sacrifice your mental and physical health.

Anxiety (and all her baggage) from Disney’s Inside Out 2

I’m not sure how many of you are familiar with the Disney film Inside Out but it slaps (yes, I’m lame), so check it out. Then a few weeks ago, Inside Out 2 dropped on Disney+. I couldn’t wait to sit down and watch it with my daughter, who will be 8 in January. Since watching it together with her last Friday, there has been nothing else she’s wanted to watch. And I know why — it’s an incredible movie about the complexity of emotions that not just teenage girls (dear Lord, help me when Ava gets there) feel, but every single human feels.

Who’s my least favorite character? None other than my brain’s bestie: anxiety. That little orange vulture knows how to beat you down and try and convince you that you are something you are not. In the movie, and in life, it’s important to never forget your North Star, what makes you, you. Many, many times in my life, anxiety has ripped that away from me.

But, not this past week. Today I’m proud of myself. I officially resigned from an extremely toxic work environment and will be taking on a new opportunity with a growing organization.

Will it be hard? I’m sure. Will I have a lot to learn? Yup. Am I more than capable? Hell yeah.

Change is never easy. But if there is anything 2010 and 2021 has taught me it’s this: NOTHING in this world is worth sacrificing your mental and physical health. Life is precious and life is short. If something truly isn’t serving you and it is affecting your ability to no longer fill up your cup so you can pour into those around you, it’s not for you anymore.

I’m excited for what’s next for me career-wise but for now, I’m going to set my people up for success and I’m going to pour fully into me as I embrace a new opportunity.

Some prompts to navigate a new change:

1. Gratitude — Look back and find the positives. You have to grow through what you go through and there are so many lessons along the way. Take a moment to reflect where you’ve been, why you’re making this change and what valuable lessons you can add to your tool belt that will help you on your next step.

2. Watch Inside Out 2 — Trust me, you do not need to have kids to enjoy this one. If you have even the slightest bit of anxiety or doubt at times, even if you are not an anxious person, there are SO many takeaways from this movie. As adults, we know our sense of self and it’s vital we never lose sight of that. I’m glad my daughter can experience a film that shows all of our emotions.

3. Get back to the simpler things — This prompt is really for me too! I find myself overstimulated by 9am most days. Between the never ending to-do list and the computer, phone, Apple Watch, etc. It feels like I’m always looking at a screen. When I stay present in reality and the real things and people in front of me, there is nothing better. So I am vowing to pick up a new book (I am old school, I rent a hard copy from the local library) and to commit to read every night while silencing my phone. Baby steps :)

Uncensored Send-Off:
You are not alone. You are worthy. You are special.

Are you struggling with something? I would love to hear your story. Leave me a comment and give my page a follow as I grow my Substack and help others share their uncensored mental health journeys so we can all grow stronger, together.