June/July 2025 Edition This month’s spotlight features Oscar, who generously shares, in his own words, the story of how his healing journey began. From a defining moment in solitary confinement to years of reflection, growth, and hard-won self-awareness, Oscar’s path reminds us that change can start in the most unexpected places. His voice is a powerful reminder that mental health recovery is possible, even when the odds feel impossible. I’m honored to share his story with you. What Led Me to Begin My Healing Journey In the year 2000, I was before a panel of people, a lieutenant, a sergeant, a case counselor assigned to me, and a therapist. They were going through my file detailing why I was in segregation. In the California prison system, it’s also called the hole. I was sent to the hole for a violent fight I was in with another guy inside of prison. At the time I was serving a double life sentence, I fell under the title of Juvenile lifer, which in my case at the time...

Like many people, I’ve always prided myself on being a multitasker. I juggle work, parenting, and personal goals all at once, believing that the more I can do simultaneously, the more productive I am. However, I’ve recently started to realize that multitasking may be doing more harm than good. It’s something I’m still working on, but acknowledging how multitasking impacts my mental health has been eye-opening. In this post, I’ll share my insights on the hidden costs of multitasking and why slowing down can actually help us achieve more in the long run. How Multitasking Affects People Living with Depression and Anxiety Multitasking might seem like a necessary skill in our constantly connected lives, but in my experience living with depression and anxiety, it often does more harm than good. When you're dealing with depression , even simple tasks can feel draining. Multitasking, in particular, can worsen symptoms. Here's how: Concentration fades quickly, making it harder to st...

The Psychology of Boredom: Why It’s Good for Your Brain As someone who thrives on productivity and constant activity, I’ve often struggled with boredom. It’s uncomfortable, even frustrating, and can sometimes feel like wasted time. For me, this goes deeper than just a dislike of idleness—it's also tied to a trauma response. Sitting still has never felt safe or natural. Constant motion has been my way of coping, distracting, and surviving. But over time, I’ve learned that boredom isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it can be a powerful tool for personal growth and mental health. It’s still something I’m working on, but I’ve started to embrace those quiet moments as opportunities for creativity, reflection, and self-awareness.  In this post, I’ll share what I’ve learned about the surprising benefits of boredom and how you can start to see it in a new light, too. Boredom is often seen as a nuisance – a state of mind to avoid at all costs. We live in a world full of distractions, ...

What Is Mental Toughness? Understanding Its Role in Building Resilience and Mental Health I used to think resilience meant being endlessly strong—never feeling overwhelmed or uncertain. But the more I struggled with anxiety and the weight of past trauma, the more I questioned whether I had any resilience at all. It felt like every challenge knocked me down harder than the last, and I wondered if I’d ever have the strength to stand firm. What changed my perspective wasn’t a single breakthrough but a series of small realizations. I started noticing that resilience wasn’t about avoiding hardship—it was about learning how to recover. The first time I sat with my emotions instead of pushing them away, I felt uneasy, but I also felt in control. I began finding tools that worked for me: grounding exercises to quiet my mind, journaling to process my thoughts, and movement to release tension. None of these erased my struggles, but they made me better equipped to handle them. One of the hardes...

5 Proven Strategies to Develop Mental Toughness for Better Mental Health I used to believe that mental toughness was something you were either born with or without. Struggling with anxiety and past trauma, I often felt like I lacked the resilience to navigate life’s challenges. Every setback seemed to confirm my fears—that I wasn’t strong enough to overcome hardship. But I slowly learned that mental toughness isn’t about never struggling; it’s about how you respond when things get tough. For me, the turning point was realizing that small, intentional actions could make a difference. Practicing mindfulness helped me manage overwhelming thoughts. Positive self-talk, though difficult at first, gradually replaced self-doubt. Exercise became a tool for both mental and physical strength. Over time, I discovered that resilience isn’t about avoiding stress—it’s about facing it head-on with the right tools. Mental toughness is a skill, and like any skill, it can be strengthened with practice. M...