As promised, our mental health challenge continues, and we would like to share more tips, inspirations, stories, and quotes with you this month!  We would love for you to pick out a suggestion and practice it!  Practice makes perfect, and whatever your goal may be, we want to help you succeed!  Learning, growing, and succeeding is all about the expansion of your mind, so let’s do it together!

 

Creating a challenge from the letters in “September” was in fact a challenge for me! My new approach was to review my favorite musicians and see what songs or authors started with the letters of September! Music is a powerful tool that helps us connect with our emotions. I hope you enjoy the songs and the lyrics that go with them alongside this month’s challenges!

 

Joe Boston, professionally known by the stage name Shallou, is a Los Angeles-based singer, producer, and environmentalist, who produces ambient, house melodies with soulful vocals that have carved a niche in the Indie and Electronic music scenes. The song "See You" by Shallou explores themes of uncertainty, the bittersweetness of parting, and the desire to hold on to a connection that’s at risk of being lost forever.

 

Enjoy the moment because everything passes! Heraclitus said that “no man ever steps in the same river twice,” pointing out the transient nature of life.  Enjoy this song and dance and get your body moving to this piece, or to the tune of some other music you love!

The artist Phephi was Raised in Nassau, Bahamas. Phephi got her start releasing guitar covers on Soundcloud in middle school. She began recording her own songs in her bedroom and, later on, in her college dorm. Phephi amassed over 300k plays on YouTube with her song "Ice Cream." I personally know Phephi and she is awesome! Unfortunately, at some point she deemed her album Edge as being incompatible with her shifting musical style, and she attempted to delete it from the internet. She almost succeeded, but you can still find it in some places. Artists frequently judge themselves harshly through a lens of what others might think of them or their music. In some ways, we’re all like artists in the harsh manner in which we judge ourselves throughout our day to day life.

 

Find Phephi on Spotify, then listen to and ponder her music! What “album” of your life have you tried to cut out/forget/ignore? What led you to want to do that? How were you enriched by going through that time in your life?

 

The single "It's Me" is a collaboration of Spencer Brown, Paavo, and Senegalese American artist Marieme.  To quote Marieme herself, “The song we created is magical. It's called "It's Me" and it's about the realization that you are love and that you are what you've been searching for all along. The lyrics are like a mantra. Words are powerful and we need to speak kindly to ourselves. Love is not a destination, it's a source. When we see things that way we move differently.”

 

Live a day as the song says– “It’s me, I’m love.” How different would you feel if you felt such love for life and for everyone else? It can be very hard to do some days! Still, we can at least give it a try. If we all do it, maybe one day there will be only love!!! Keep practicing! We can certainly dream of such a day.

 

Titanium is a song about discovering our inner strength. The lyrics are about being strong even when the world is throwing its worst at us. When bad things happen, we must stand strong and not fall. As the song states, we must be "Titanium," by being strong hearted and strong willed.

 

Think of a past challenge that you felt was breaking you down. How did you stay strong in the face of adversity? If you didn’t stay strong, or wish that you’d been stronger, imagine today that you are made from titanium, and that all of your problems simply ricochet from your body.

 

This song is a call to stop making excuses and work things out, highlighting the importance of communication in solving problems. Think of the relationships in your life that might need some work. What excuses are you using to avoid confronting these problems? Finally, how can you best communicate to try and fix these issues?

 

Mr. Probz is a Dutch singer-songwriter with multiple global hits under his belt. The lyrics of “Praying to a God” are about a girl who spirals into drug abuse after growing up in a broken family. She dreams about having a perfect life, while trying hopelessly to numb her pain with pills and powder.

 

Answer the following questions: How are you numbing your pain? Is it working? Is it a positive or negative coping mechanism? Is this coping mechanism helping you get to where you want to be, or is it preventing you from achieving personal growth? Are there costs associated with numbing your pain in this way?

 

SAINt JHN was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Georgetown, Guyana. Growing up, he split his time in three-year intervals between Guyana and his East New York neighborhood. He began creating music when he was twelve years old. "The Best Part of Life" by SAINt JHN is an ode to eternal love and the special bond between two people. The song talks about the fear of commitment and uncertainty that comes with a serious relationship, but also the excitement of the journey.

 

In what areas of your life are you afraid to make a commitment? Is it your relationship, religion, career, physical or mental fitness, or something else? What do you think is holding you back? Sometimes fear can protect us, but it can also prevent us from truly experiencing life. Think about these fears and how you might move past them so that you can start living your life to the fullest!

 

Loren Allred’s stirring ballad “Never Enough”, featured in the 2017 movie musical “The Greatest Showman,” earned her critical acclaim and global recognition. “Never Enough” is a song that speaks to the human desire for love and validation. Its soaring vocals, lush orchestration, and emotional resonance have helped it become an instant classic and a favorite among music lovers worldwide.

 

Watch the movie if you haven’t already, or simply enjoy this song and see what emotions it stirs in you!

 

"Last Resort (Reimagined)" by Falling in Reverse is a powerful and emotionally charged song that delves into the depths of despair and mental anguish. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of an individual who feels trapped, isolated, and overwhelmed by their circumstances. Through intense imagery and raw expressions of pain, the song explores themes of self-destruction, loneliness, and the desperate desire for validation and understanding.

 

How do you process your pain?  There are hundreds of ways to feel better, but it can be difficult to remember them when we’re experiencing suffering. Create a “feeling better” map of positive coping strategies, affirmations, music, movies, people, pets, and everything else that comes to your mind that can help to make you feel better! Then use it when you are in pain to feel better!

If you have a question that you want answered by a mental health practitioner on our podcast, please submit it to sophie@holisticws.com or visit this link

HWS Founder,

Alicja Matusiak LISW-S, PMHNP-BC is a founder of Holistic Wellness Solutions. She has been interested in studying the mysteries of the human mind ever since her father was diagnosed with depression. She acquired a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s degree in social work, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees in nursing, and committed herself to serve others who struggle with mental health issues.