Healing Depression & Burnout with Michelle Williams + How to Help a Child Struggling with Depression
In this podcast (episode #285) and blog, I speak to my dear friend and award-winning singer Michelle Williams about her new book, Checking In, and how to manage periods of intense depression.
Michelle’s incredible book has 3 main pillars: checking in with ourselves, with others and with God. As she notes, when we check in with ourselves and others about how we are doing on a regular basis, we can start taking our power back…we can start writing our own story!
This includes acknowledging our own feelings. Often, when someone is dealing with depression, they think it must look a certain way, and they should act a certain way. They know it feels like depression, but assume that it’s not. They may guess that they are just tired, overworked, hormonal, or overthinking the problem. The thing is, we all act differently and experience depression in different ways. There is no one way to be “depressed”—if you feel down, these feelings are valid and need to be acknowledged. If you are struggling, it is important to give yourself the permission to take the time to check in with yourself and how you are doing.
Indeed, you should never be ashamed to talk about how you feel and confide in your loved ones. Not talking about how you feel and just trying to go about life will only make things worse—what we suppress will explode in other areas of our life! We can’t deal with or heal something if we don’t acknowledge it.
The same goes for the people in our lives. We should never judge people based on how they seem to appear on the outside. Remember, depressed people can look successful and happy on the outside and still feel down!
We also need to check in with our kids on a regular basis. Our children need hugs more than “stuff”! Unconditional affection is so important for a child’s mental and emotional development, and will help set them up for success as adults.A child should never feel like they must perform to be accepted. Make sure you are constantly checking in with your child, which will show them that you care about how they feel, not just what they do.
And, as Michelle notes, watch what you say about yourself! Constant negative self-talk will change the way you think about yourself, talk to yourself and act towards yourself. Check in with yourself, acknowledge how you feel, but don’t shame yourself for being human!
For more on Michelle experience and how to take care of your mental health, listen to my podcast (episode #285), and check out her new book! If you enjoy listening to my podcast, please consider leaving a 5-star review and subscribing. And keep sharing episodes with friends and family and on social media. (Don’t forget to tag me so I can see your posts!).
This podcast is sponsored by:
Amen Clinics, which use a complex and holistic approach to deal with mental health and brain issues. They will help you find a unique treatment plan that meets your needs, using natural approaches wherever possible. Visit amenclinics.com/drleaf and use the promo code DRLEAF10 to get 10% off your first evaluation.
Athletic Greens, a daily all-in-one superfood powder that is by far the easiest and most delicious nutritional habit that you can add to your health routine today, while avoiding the need to take multiple pills or add complex routines. The people at Athletic Greens have simplified the logistics of getting optimal nutrition daily by giving you one thing with all the best things! To get one year free supply of vitamin D and 5 free travel packs with your order see: athleticgreens.com/LEAF.
BLUblox, the best light-blocking glasses and sleep masks to reduce your exposure to harmful blue and green light throughout the day and night. Indeed, even a tiny amount of light hitting your closed eyes at night is enough to decrease REM and Deep Sleep, which is the most restorative of our sleep cycles and important for our mental health. The same small amount of light exposure while we sleep has also been shown in academic studies to increase our risk of diabetes, obesity, cancer and heart disease! This is why I use Blublox's REMedy sleep mask every night, which is the most optimal sleep mask in the world! Using the most sophisticated design methodology, BLUblox has created a comfortable 100% light blocking eye mask for improved REM and Deep Sleep. To get up to 15% off your BLUblox products use the code DRLEAF at checkout: Blublox.com.
Birch Mattresses, a company that makes certified organic, sustainable, ethically produced, 100% recyclable, hypoallergenic, non-toxic and chemical-free mattresses that are great for your conscience and for your comfort! You can try Birch mattresses for 100 nights risk free, and will receive a full refund if you are not happy with the product. Plus, all their mattress come with a 25 year warranty! So, if you’re looking for a new mattress, check out Birchliving.com/drleaf. Birch is giving $200 off ALL mattresses and 2 free eco-rest pillows to my listeners!
Podcast Highlights
2:30 Why Michelle wrote her book Checking In
7:00 Why depression will look different for everyone
7:50 The importance of talking about how you feel
9:40 How parenting styles can be passed down through generations and affect children’s mental health
17:45 The importance of giving children affection without conditions
20:00 The power of healthy, loving touch
28:30 Why forgiveness helps you heal
33:28 Michelle’s own mental health struggles
36:40 Why we need to give ourselves permission to take the time to check in with ourselves
39:22 Why depressed people can look successful and happy on the outside
41:00 The danger of negative self-talk
48:00 How Michelle manages her own mental health
52:00 How our relationships can reflect how we feel about ourselves
This podcast and blog is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. We always encourage each person to make the decision that seems best for their situation with the guidance of a medical professional.
Switch On Your Brain LLC. is providing this podcast as a public service. Reference to any specific viewpoint or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by our organization. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. If you have any questions about this disclaimer, please contact info@drleaf.com.