Navigating Mental Health with Grace

Day3 Unfettered Living.

Jan Sky, bless her curious heart, inquired about our mental health goals, and then, with an air of intrigue, probed into how we’d bring these aspirations into our personal domain. Following that, she turned the spotlight on us as community contributors – especially those in leadership roles – asking how we’d weave these goals into the tapestry of our responsibilities.

Now, when it comes to leadership styles, there’s quite a variety. However, my personal recommendation leans towards the charm of William Glasser’s lead management. Picture this: bringing it to life, with all the grace of a well-executed waltz. But how would one go about turning this into a reality?

Delving into the realm of mental health goals within leadership, we find ourselves savoring the notion of taking a lunch break, unchained from the desk, no matter the chaos. Embracing the sanctity of a day off as an actual day off. Navigating through the labyrinth of distractions while meticulously plotting our calendars. And let’s not forget having a personal development plan, as per Glasser’s wisdom, complete with power-oriented professionalism, freedom-infused personal autonomy, and a touch of family or tribe-oriented zest, topped off with a dash of good old-fashioned fun to shake off the stress.

Building an Ally-network becomes the icing on this leadership cake.

Now, let’s dwell on the fact that our minds are constantly barraged by a barrage of micro-bytes, courtesy of our five senses – a staggering 2-18 million bits per second, to be precise. Yet, our cognitive capacities can only absorb a meager 126 bits per second. The result? Our brains play a little game of delete, distort, and generalize to ensure we focus on what truly matters to us, categorized and neatly filed away.

This intricate process involves weaving through our values, decisions, words, memories – some stored as pain, others as pleasure. It all happens at an unconscious level, much like a backstage performance in the theater of our minds. Ever wonder why, after considering a particular car model, you suddenly spot it everywhere? It’s not that the roads are suddenly flooded with them; it’s just your brain prioritizing information based on your newfound interest.

Now, what’s the relevance, you ask? When it comes to setting mental health goals with your team, understanding that words don’t wear the same outfit for everyone is paramount. Take the word “discipline,” for instance. While some may embrace it as a tool for productivity, others might dodge it like an unwanted chore.

So, when Jan nudged me for my word – “unfettered” – and subsequently cross-examined its meaning in my universe, it dawned on me. To be unfettered, in my parlance, meant discovering the mode of life where my spirit could express itself in unfettered freedom – shedding distractions, confronting fears that lead to trivial pursuits, while the essence of meaningful endeavors lay neglected.

In response to Jan’s inquiry, I’d articulate my mental health goal as follows:

Cultivate the mental freedom to navigate life’s challenge with unwavering focus, unshackled by doubt and fear, fostering a resilient and unfettered state of well-being. and

Lady Agatha Ironside

And with that, the curtain falls on this mental health odyssey.

Yours Unfettered

Lady Agatha Ironside.