Page 8 - MENTAL HEALTH: The Yorkshire Post Covid-19 2020 Help E-Mag

DRIVEN BY EMOTION TO EMPOWER OTHERS
In times of crisis and hardship, the people that we gravitate to are the ones that have great levels of empathy, compassion and are non judgemental.
I haven’t always been a person with a lot of empathy, in my earlier years in business I was extremely objective and would hide my emotional empathetic side. I’m not sure if this was because I was fearful of showing that side, or if I just hadn’t had enough life experience yet, to show my vulnerability.
This all changed 5 years ago as I lived through the most traumatic event of my life, when dad collapsed with a heart attack and we lost him, not without 24 hours of effort and I’m very grateful to the NHS staff that fateful day.
Grief, as many know, can be so consuming and makes us realise the most valuable lessons in life, it taught me things about myself that I never knew. Through bereavement followed panic attacks, anxiety, phobias, burnout and feelings of depression. Coming out the other side I knew that I wanted to help others.In order to do that though, I really needed to help myself.
I remember thinking ‘What now?’, I had finished my own therapy and the tears had stopped enough that now, the real work could begin. This was a chance to reflect on my values and find out the real me, not who I thought everyone else wanted me to be.
Being a counsellor, coach and leader is about how you can serve others to empower and motivate them to believe that change is possible. There’s a great saying that I heard John.C.Maxwell use, “We are never down, we are only up or getting back up”. This crisis and pandemic will challenge even the strongest of us, it may test relationships, it may push finances to breaking point, there may be heartache and there may be loss of loved ones. I’ll tell you that you can get through anything, all the answers you seek are inside of you, we all just need a little direction to find them.
I created the Modern Mind Group because we are emotioneering to change the hearts and minds of at least one million people for the better. Whether that is through online counselling, coaching, training or motivational speaking. I’m now driven by emotion to empower others, and won’t stop until there is a significant dent in the stigma surrounding mental health. Let's make you part of the journey!
Contact Melissa at modernmindgroup.co.uk and follow the Hot Wagon podcast.
Words by Melissa Curran