23 May Self-Care
I recently interviewed Esther del Rosa Scott, a Licensed Professional Counselor, on my show Create, Build and Manage Daily, on the topic of mental health. May is Mental Health Awareness Month. There has been a rise in mental stress in the workplace and I felt it was a topic we needed to address.
Ms. Scott pointed out the difference between mental health and mental illness. “When we are addressing mental health, we are addressing the preventive so that we don’t go into mental illness.” She went on to point out that addressing mental health is easier than waiting to address mental illness.
That resonated with me. I choose to eat healthier food and work out to prevent controllable health issues. I know it is better for my physical body to do the work on the front end, than to wait for a major health crisis to try to address my health needs. It makes sense that the same would be true for my mental wellbeing.
I confess that I have not always been open to the idea of needing to speak with a counselor.
But that is easier to say than to put into practice. I confess that I have not always been open to the idea of needing to speak with a counselor. I incorrectly felt that most problems are temporary, just a part of life. I came from the school of “just suck it up and move on.” But my thinking was wrong. Mental health is important, and I see the value of self-care.
As a CEO, husband, father, and son, I am responsible for a lot, and my guess is you are too. With so many things needing my attention and leadership, I still stink at self-care. While I have gotten better about making sure my loved ones get the care they need, I am not sure I have done the same for myself. Does this describe you?
We have all been on an airplane before and heard the safety instructions. “In the event that the cabin loses pressure, an oxygen mask will drop from the ceiling. Make sure you put your mask on before assisting someone else with their mask.” Why do they tell us to get our mask on first? Because we need the oxygen to breathe to be able to help others.
The same is true for your family, your staff, and everyone else counting on you. You need to put your mask on first and breathe. Thank you, Esther, for reminding me of this truth.
You can watch my full interview with Esther del Rosa Scott by clicking here.
Scott Miller is the CEO of Centerpost Media, host of the Create. Build. Manage. show (seen on BizTV, heard on BizTalkRadio, and available wherever you listen to podcasts,) and a member of the Forbes Agency Council, Entrepreneur Leadership Network, and Dallas Business Journal Leadership Trust. You can find Scott on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter via “@scottmillerceo” or on LinkedIn via “@scottmillermedia.” Centerpost Media is a content marketing agency with a vision to help every business they encounter with their media needs by providing outstanding quality, service and value. Centerpost Media is the parent company to BizTV, BizTalkRadio, BizTalkPodcasts and Bizvod.