3 G's of Joy Fulfillment
How do you differentiate stress from depression? How to determine the root of being unmotivated? Together with Dr. Lauren, Joyce discusses the 4 D’s of Distress and 3 G’s of Joy cultivating and normalizing mental wellness the same way people must take care of their physical health.
Learning Through Experiences
Before the pandemic, she’d been traveling around the world, speaking with students and adults on how we can cultivate mental wellness and how we can communicate and openly talk about the struggles we are having. Her goal is to abolish the negative stigma of mental health through normalizing talking about it.
Dr. Lauren, being in the field for years, have counseled and gave psychotherapy to such vast number of patients already. Everything that she’d learned from her experiences has certainly impacted her in pursuing this field. Being a storyteller and wanting to understand more on how people can have that true joy, she became passionate in helping people figure it out. “Many presume that being a therapist must be so depressing but it's inspiring. Life includes suffering and denying the reality can exacerbate the pain.” (LC)
“Normalize mental health wellness in the same way that we do for physical health as well. ”
The 3 G’s of Joy
People nowadays experience a lot of loneliness and anxieties because of this whole pandemic and the transition we had in this digital world. And with that, Dr. Cook put together the principles of 3 G’s that could help us find the sense of joy, purpose, and life calling.
○ Goal Setting - Show up for your life fully. It’s really key that we still have a vision and plan for our lives. Even if things do get canceled, you still need to show up for your life. Still have goals that you're working towards. And don’t fear failure. Shift your perspective. These failures will actually help you grow more than when things go perfectly smooth. (LC)
○ Gratitude - Make gratitude a daily practice. Gratitude is not about ignoring the pain in our lives. It is about holding what’s going well. Think of the five things you are most grateful for today.
○ Giving Back - It has to be more about yourself. Know your purpose and a point to serve. Tune into your body.
“When you start off with the right mindset the rest of your day, and the rest of your work really follows through.”
Hopefulness in the Uncertainty
To hold that sense of hopeless, I think it's pulling a sense of flexibility, holding a sense of openness. A lot of us when we set goals, we become rigid. But actually, we got to hold some willingness to be able to shift and hold an openness for movement. Teach yourself to adapt on these huge waves by telling that you’re capable of doing it because it will help you navigate through the sense of helplessness. (LC)
How to change the narrative of negative self-talk?
We’ve got to start questioning the thoughts we are having. We can’t control our thoughts but we can control how we perceive those thoughts. Re-evaluate yourself and challenge your mind. Hold that hope that you can change and you can be different. (LC)
Change your perspective. One thing I’ve learned from my therapist is that you have to name it to tame it. Put a label on that thought and realize that it’s just a part of you. It’s not something that should define you. (JP)
Distress and Depression
Having a community where you can talk and share your struggles with will help you survive these difficulties. And here are some of the things to spot on before seeking professional help:
○ Deviation – check out if there’s something that’s not normal in how you’re feeling
○ Distress – are you feeling worried? Upset? See that things that you’re not okay with
○ Dysfunction – if you’re having trouble showing up for people, maybe some dysfunction is going on
○ Danger - if you're feeling like you can't keep yourself safe, you're worried you might hurt someone else
“Never be afraid to ask for help.”
How to differentiate stress from depression?
People have been misusing the term. But here are some differences on these two from Dr. Lauren Cook. Stress is just feeling ‘exhausted and having trouble concentrating. A major depressive episode has a different intensity. It typically takes two weeks of continued low sad mood, a significant increase or decrease in appetite, insomnia or hypersomnia, and having difficulty in concentrating with feelings of inappropriate guilt or worthlessness. Thoughts of suicide have also been visible to those who have depression.
Find someone who you trust and start opening up, who can resonate with what you’re feeling. It’s okay to not be okay. Take that courage to let people know your mental health journey. Always know that there is always someone who are willing to help you. Adulting is really discovering that you are not alone and most people are going through the same struggles and difficulties like what you have. (JP)
From Episode 61 of Adulting with Joyce Pring: “THE 3 G’S OF JOY CULTIVATING”
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Adulting With Joyce Pring is the How-To’s of your 20’s told by a 20-something, traversing through life expectantly and with gusto!
Episode summary by Chiara
Soli Deo Gloria!