October is ‘Mental Health Month’ and with it more celebrities are chipping away at the stigma around mental health by sharing their own struggles.
Their stories are interesting, but it’s crucial that we use their experiences to take practical steps to support our own mental well-being.
Public figures, including Lady Gaga, Michael Phelps, and Prince Harry have talked about the steps they take to support their emotional well-being.
Lady Gaga gets comfortable saying no
“After years and years of saying yes to jobs, interviews, events, all opportunities, I realised ‘yes’ became too automatic and my inner voice shut down, which I have learned now is very unhealthy, I was not empowered to say no.”
Prince Harry finds relief in opening–up
“My way of dealing with grief was sticking my head in the sand, refusing to ever think about my mum, because why would that help. I now know there is huge merit in talking about your issues and the only thing about keeping it quiet is that it’s only ever going to make it worse.”
Michael Phelps practices acceptance
“Depression is something I continue to go through daily, it doesn’t go away. But it’s important for people to see that’s OK, just being open, not letting everything compartmentalize and just build-up, because it’s just going to be a gigantic bomb that’s going to go off at any given point.”
If you or anyone close to you is struggling with their mental health seek out professional help from organisations like Beyond Blue and Black Dog Institute.
