Finding Solace in the Stillness: HONS 25O Final Project

      Today was just an alright day for me. Luckily, I got a lot of rest last night, but I felt mentally and physically exhausted because of my jobs, school, and not getting a lot of sleep for any previous days, so I was pretty worn out by the end of the week. Right now is a busy time for everyone, and I am certainly feeling as if my workload is finally catching up to me. I am able to finish things in a timely manner still, but mentally I have never wished for a break more, so I am trying to push through these last few weeks of school. I was alright for most of the day, and then was a bit moody, but I was able to recognize that I was moody, so I listened to some music and tidied up my room to calm myself down. I also talked about how I was feeling with some friends of mine, and usually I bottle things up, but this project is about taking care of my well-being, so I realized that I should be more transparent about my emotions. I feel that the Superwoman Schema that Black w...

      Today was another calm day, and so once again it was easier for me to engage in the deep breathing exercise. My stress levels were relatively low, so when I started the deep breathing exercise, it was easier for me to address how I was feeling and clear my thoughts. I actually enjoyed this exercise because even though there were some residents being loud in the building, I was able to block it out and just focus on the present. It is still hard for me to block out time for the exercise because I always end up doing it late at night, but I am happy that I am doing it. It still sort of feels like something that I have to do, but at least it is easier for me to do now. So far, I feel that this exercise is very relaxing, but if I have another stressful day, I am worried about whether or not deep breathing will help me.

      Before engaging in the deep breathing exercise, I actually had a pretty good day and was feeling better than I have for the past few weeks, which was really nice. Wednesdays are usually pretty laidback days for me, but this one was still pretty relaxing despite me still being pretty productive throughout the day. When I was doing the breathing exercise, I laid down again which made it easier to complete, but I did notice that I had a lot of thoughts running in my head once I actually laid down and focused on them. Previous breathing exercises I have done in the past have said to pretend that the thoughts in our mind are like "clouds in the sky" and we should recognize them, but also let them past, which I did today, and that was calming. After the breathing exercise, I felt the same for the most part, but felt a bit more relaxed for bed and the day ahead of me.

      Before the deep breathing exercise, my day was going fairly well. It was a busy day like always, and I also was a little sleepy, but other than that, I got a lot of things done and stopped myself from working on coursework at so late at night so that I can get some more rest, as I have time to do these assignments throughout the next few days. I knew that sitting still was a bit difficult for me the last time I practiced deep breathing, so today I chose to lay down and do it. Today's exercise felt much easier and felt more like relaxation than a chore, which I am very thankful for. Perhaps it's because I had a better day today, but I was able to appreciate the exercise and take the time to let all my worries pass through my mind. After the breathing exercise, I felt better about my day tomorrow (as it will most likely be another long day), and felt more prepared to rest for the night.

          For this day, I actually did engage in the deep breathing practice, which I was very proud of myself for doing! Before engaging in the deep breathing practice, I was tired because it was late at night and I had a long day of work and completing coursework, so I felt that the breathing exercise was another chore that I would have to complete for the day. I also had some coursework that I had to complete that night, and was not looking forward to it since I had worked on it practically all day that day. Overall, I was pretty exhausted physically and mentally, but knew it would be best for me to actually start the deep breathing exercise, so I did it before starting up on my coursework again! When I was in the process of doing the deep breathing exercise, it was sort of hard to do because it required me to sit still and close my eyes, and it was really hard to sit still for five minutes and focus on myself and my thoughts because I am not used to doing it...

 Introduction   We are now in a time in society where discussing mental health issues and disorders is becoming more prevalent and socially acceptable, and where having mental health issues and disorders is less shameful. Statistics from the American Psychological Association show that, "A total of 87% of American adults agreed that having a mental health disorder is nothing to be ashamed of, and 86% said they believe that people with mental health disorders can get better, according to the poll" (APA 2019). At the same time, Black women and girls are advocating and discussing mental health issues that are pertinent to our identities as we face institutionalized and cultural barriers to accessing mental healthcare. Alongside an alarming lack of Black people within the psychology field and the centering of the white experience in professional studies surrounding mental health issues and disorders, there is also an enduring stigma surrounding mental health in Black communi...