As Mental Health Awareness Month concludes, we aim to offer three essential insights to guide you through the remainder of the year. It’s important to remember that the focus on mental health and the proactive steps we take to improve it shouldn’t go away just because the awareness month has ended.
As marketers, we frequently face high-stress situations that require careful navigation. To better equip ourselves, we consulted our mental health partner, Autumn Walker, and posed three critical questions about mental health.
We asked Autumn: “How can we avoid falling into imposter syndrome?”
She shared the following: “Impostor syndrome has emotional, personal, and cultural ties connected to it. Therefore, as a therapist, I encourage us to take a holistic approach to prevent and overcome impostor syndrome.
I use my S.O.U.L system to support those who believe that they are not adequate, capable, or qualified for opportunities despite evidence that shows otherwise.
S: Get out of survival mode:
To overcome and prevent impostor syndrome, you have to learn how to regulate your nervous system to manage anxiety and fear effectively.
O: Open yourself up to change:
Next, embrace change to go after what scares you because comfort is a trickster.
U: Uncover your values:
Knowing your values protects you from doubt when the world or you begin to question who you are and what you bring to the table.
L: Leap into your goals:
Lastly, you have to leap into your goals. Do not hesitate, contemplate, or procrastinate. Just leap!”
Autumn’s words emphasized a thought we often share with our community, the work that is being done is continuous. Love and embrace the work because there is not necessarily a point of completion.
As we continue our journeys as professionals we push back these negative feelings and encourage self-confidence daily. There aren’t completion boxes to check on your S.O.U.L journey, it is more that there are active steps you can take daily to keep you above water and swimming smoothly.
We asked Autumn: “How can we set personal boundaries in the workplace to ensure we create stability for ourselves without potentially harming career growth?”
“Most times, we conceptualize boundaries as something to apply to others. Boundaries should also exist intrapersonally to honor our limits, specifically in a professional setting.
We have several types of boundaries. As a licensed therapist, I emphasize my time, emotional, and energy boundaries. I stick to my work schedule. This also prevents me from getting too emotionally attached to my clients because when my work day finishes, I disconnect to focus on my other life areas. To maintain my energy boundaries, I honor my capacity by not taking on too many clients or outside projects simultaneously.
You can leverage this resource from Pesi to learn which boundaries you could start applying or maintaining at the workplace.”
The Pesi resource Autumn provided is gold. We often do not think about exactly what types of boundaries we are interested in creating, and if that boundary is for another person or our own self-discipline. By being able to discern between the different types of boundaries there are, we know where we are applying our energy, and how our workplace is impacting us.
Our last question for Autumn: “How can we take work off at the end of the day and transition the afternoon for self-care?”
“An after-work routine is a simple yet constructive way to shift out of work mode, especially if you telework. Create a daily schedule of after-work activities that energize you and give you something to look forward to!
We naturally gravitate towards things that feel pleasurable. You will feel more inclined to leave work where it is to pursue the next part of your day. For example, I like to cuddle with my fur baby Reese Cup or gear up for an early evening workout. It is vital to have options to avoid boredom!”
As the founder of our amazing community, I have also had to make the transition as Autumn mentions of creating a routine for myself after work that turns work off. Now like most business owners also juggling a 9-5, I turn work off to turn other types of work on.😂
But being able to get out for a routine walk after work has truly allowed me a new sense of comfort, given me the opportunity to redirect my energy, and settles my nerves after an intense day, especially as someone who has to spend an extended period of time, sitting down, and looking at screens.
The Mighty Conclusion
Self is within our control. We can control the processes we utilize to stay positive and bring confidence, we can control the boundaries we choose to set, and we can control developing a routine that will allow us to turn work off when we are ready to.
Utilizing the S.O.U.L method, Pesi’s boundaries break down, and your own self-care routine will assist in ensuring your mental is nurtured well and that you are handling yourself with the extra care you deserve. That is a huge win for being 1% greater!
Signing off for now, but always connected,
The <1% Club
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Learn more about Autumn Walker, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor of Maryland – by visiting her links below👇🏾
Founder of The Soul Reasons LLC
Connect on Instagram & LinkedIn
Text “SOUL” to 206-657-0594 to join her free VIP list!
The Less Than 1% Club 