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Carlee
Do you find it hard to stay positive, especially when it comes to mental health? Hi, I'm Carlee Myers. Your stress management expert. And this month we're talking about mental health and I brought on a no better guest than Heidi. Heidi, welcome to the show.
Heidi
Thank you very much for having me. I'm super excited to be here.
Carlee
Absolutely. Absolutely. This is our third conversation now. The last two conversations we had, we could hardly get off the phone.
Heidi
There's a lot of laughter and giggling. And I loved it. I didn't want to go.
Carlee
I love it. So, guys, for those of you who do not know her, she is a mental health coach with a master's degree in social work, and she is also a certified laughter leader. So it only makes sense that we kept on laughing and joking on our call. She is the owner and operator, operator of Local Motion LLC, which is a movement based alternative innovation to traditional talk therapy. Heidi works with people from 9 to 90 to help empower them to make positive life changes through movement and laughter. Heidi, I'm so excited to have you on the show.
Heidi
I am too and I am just excited to be able to get out and talk about my business of localmotion. So just so people know, local is with L. Or C. A l. L. S two L's and locomotion. So I always think of the two L's as little legs walking around. So. And I just think it is so important to empower people. Doesn't matter what age you are to be the best person that you can be. And we can do that through movement and laughter. So it's it's wonderful. And I love it.
Carlee
So, you know, we were talking about, you know, in our prior conversations about how you got into this line of work and, you know, you've had a journey, that's for sure.
Carlee
I love it. Now, if you could share with us in the short time that we have a little bit about how you got here.
Heidi
Well, yeah. Thank you. So as a child, I always wanted to help people make them feel better. I wanted to do whatever it took. I wanted to either hold their hand when they're sad or tell a lot of knee slappers, you know, to make them laugh or simply to do some yard work. So it was no surprise that I ended up deciding to go into social work because, you know, I wanted to help others. However, the shocking thing happened along the way. My career in social work ended up helping me so uh because back in about 2012, I knew something just wasn't clicking with my body, such as I couldn't get my my work in on time. I was always late and people still tease me about that and I'm okay with it. I presented with a very scattered brain. And my eating habits went back to eating a lot of processed foods that are not healthy. And I pretty much stopped exercise altogether. And I love running. So in 2012, I was diagnosed with ADHD and that is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder for for individuals who don't know that. So after I was diagnosed, I was working on the mental health team. And I know the importance of having a support system for individuals when they're coming out with mental health. So I talked to my team and it ended up being a very difficult and a very strong a struggle journey for me, because once I disclosed my ADHD to my team, I felt extremely stigmatized, lots of shame and very, very, very alone. And myself care, such as eating and running and exercise, just went. Came to a screeching halt. But what the most wonderful thing happened was when I was diagnosed with ADHD, it did change my life and it changed it for surprisingly the better because of the diagnosis, because I was diagnosed with ADHD. And because of my sensitive and caring nature, I began on this really slow, challenging and even insightful journey of self discovery. And I found a purpose in my life which I realized I had to learn to empower myself to be the best I could be and to empower others. Like I said earlier, and what I mean by that is I want to really help others to embrace who they are. Like all aspects of them and enjoy all their faults. And their positive aspects about themselves. The other thing that that I will that I have also learned on my journey is that I've learned to have the ability to hold respect and space for myself. And I have made mistakes. But I also carry that over to the individuals who I work with. Cause I think it's so important for everyone to face their own challenges. But I am helping them face them, using compassion with a lot of respect, empathy. And with that, I'm gaining their trust. But the funnest of all, I use humor and silliness when I'm helping them, you know, achieves whatever dreams they need to get any.
Carlee
It's funny, like when you shared your story. What I loved most about it is that it's not all rainbows and butterflies. Like, there's real challenges. There's real stuff. And I think that what's so great about your perspective is that it's one it's not all rainbows and butterflies, but. And two, let's get through it. I got through it. I know what it feels like to feel shame. I know what it feels like to have that diagnosis. You know, this specific one and how to navigate that. And I think, like, that's one of the reasons I wanted to have you on the show, is because you understand what you've been in. Like many of many of our shoes. Right. And.
Heidi
Exactly.
Carlee
And to not feel hurt or to feel that shame. And all that. But and to end up on the other side and to say no. Like to be able to still be goofy and to still have joy and to still have all of those great things. So what do you what would you recommend for someone who maybe is is in that place of shame or feeling stigmatized or they don't know where to. In terms how to move forward?
Heidi
Yes. And that can be really tricky and hard. And that's where my like my walking group is coming into play to help reduce the stigma of mental health, but it also can be for addiction or anything. But the biggest place is to really find that person that you do you trust wholeheartedly trust that it's like Renee Brown would say something like if you called if she she called up a friend and said, come over here and help me remove a dead body or something like that.
Carlee
Yeah.
Heidi
It means that they're going to listen to what you have to say without judgment. And that is the biggest thing. And and learning to advocate for yourself, which is hard. And I've had to do that. But I'm also good. That's the other piece that will be in my walking group, is to help individuals advocate for themselves because they're. You all are absolutely worth it. It's it's the you are deciding so. So I think to help individuals like myself, one of the biggest tips to do. To help with mental health and physical health is just remembered, you're not defined by your diagnoses. So if you are someone who happens to live with depression or ADHD or bipolar, you're just someone who lives with it. But it doesn't have to be you. So one of the ways of being silly with your diagnosis is that I have learned to do in a book I have read, it's called Lighten Up Survival Skills for People Under Pressure it's by C.W. Metcalf. He says to either lighten up and live or tighten up and leave. And what that means is don't take yourself so serious. You know, laugh at yourself. Be silly. Like with ADHD, you know, there's interventions that I've had to work that I've done. And some of them haven't worked. Some of them have. But I go well with ADHD. I get the little squirrel moments and maybe some of them the interventions would have worked, but they did. And you just move forward. So but one of the most important aspects of keeping yourself healthy is engaging in some type of physical activity about fifteen minutes a day. And that can be walking you play with your kids, your fur babies. But simply laughing and laugh at yourself because you can also burn 40 calories by laughing, which is awesome. So keep laughing.
Carlee
I'm just going to laugh all day.
Heidi
Yes, absolutely worth it.
Carlee
I'm going to try. I'm going to. I'm going to make that a new challenge. Laugh as much as possible.
Heidi
Yeah.
Carlee
So. All right. First, what I want to. What I want folks to leave with is that you are not defined with your diagnosis. I think, Heidi, you did a great job of sharing that. We really are not defined. You know, for me, it's PTSD. And as you guys have seen through my journey, I don't let that be my definition. I'm not defined by that. Right. Laughter is so important to mental health.
Heidi
It is.
Carlee
And, you know, moving our body. Right. I've heard this time and time again that anxiety is energy. And so, you know, physical activity can help move that anxiety out. So for those of you who are listening at home, we want to know when to leave it. On a lighter note, what what is the last thing that made you have, like a full belly Laughter? Like, what made you laugh until you cry? It was so funny. Let us know in the comments because I'm hoping I'm going to be able to get some laughs from it, too.
Heidi
You better
Carlee
Now. Thank you again, Heidi, for coming on the show. It's been an absolute pleasure.
Heidi
Yes. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. And everybody just laugh. Life is joy.
Carlee
Love it. So this concludes this episode of The Stress Less Show. If you've enjoyed this week's episode, let us know by giving us a big old thumbs up and hitting that follow or subscribe button. Thanks for listening and we'll see you next week.