Hi, I’m Joyful Jo. I love my Sloth Friends as we are all Slowing Down for Mental Health!

I’m a recovering people pleaser. I’ve also been clinically/professionally diagnosed with anxiety, depression, CPTSD, and bi-polar. I think I have a little of everything. I’ve been to a lot of therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists. I’ve just started with a new one and they are overbooked so I don’t see them much.

I have a general positive joyful outlook on life most of the time. I believe every experience is a lesson and that everything is energy. I put out as much good energy as I can and often times I will receive good energy back.

I’m still learning about what brings me authentic joy every day. I bought into the toxic joy for a long time. That’s when I would numb (with alcohol) my emotions so I wouldn’t have to feel them and then I would mask with joy and/or people pleasing. 

I’m no longer numbing myself. Once I begin to feel my emotions, I’m sometimes able to use tools I’ve learned to work through them. I no longer gloss over my emotions now but I’m definitely a work in progress. 

I have a lot of tools in my tool belt. Some conventional and some not so conventional. One that I’ve been experimenting with lately is with the Human Design System. It’s fascinating to me and has helped me with self-awareness.  

The stigma around mental health in my opinion is that everyone has the same way of dealing with things and/or dealing with trauma. It’s not true. Two people can experience the same thing and one may not be affected at all where the other feels debilitating symptoms. 

Another stigma I find is that some people think that the tools that they use for mental health should work for everyone. There’s a lot to consider and we are our own advocates for what works and doesn’t work for us. It’s so individual.

I don’t think that you have to be diagnosed with mental illnesses like me in order to relate to feeling some of the same emotions that I have. Being diagnosed with any or many mental illness/illnesses is complex. 

I appreciate having a place to express some of the ways that I work through some of my symptoms. 

My favorite color is yellow and my mantra is ‘Slow down, find your joy’.

I look forward to sharing some of my stories with you and hope you will follow along!

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Thank you for listening,

Joyful Jo Sloth