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Emily W. Locke

Welcome to my inner acceptance journey

Inspirational Quotes

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Image credits: unknown. Contact me if you know the source. Thank you.

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The last few weeks my therapist and I have been doing trauma work and it’s taken a lot out of me. I’ve felt more tired than usual so I haven’t been getting as much done as I’d like to. Sometimes I’m gentle towards myself about this, but other times I notice negative self-talk about how I’m not doing enough. Deep down I know that I don’t deserve that, and that what I’m actually in need of is kindness and understanding. ⁣ ⁣ Therapy is hard and important work. Choosing to process through trauma is brave, terrifying, and immensely important. Whether you’re also processing through something difficult in therapy, or if you’re going through a hard time right now, it’s okay if you don’t feel like you’re at the top of your game. It’s okay if you’re more tired than usual. It’s okay if you can’t get everything done on your to-do list. You’re doing the best that you can right now to get through this. Take it a day at a time and be gentle with yourself 💛
I’m finally on summer break! Last week I finished finals for my summer classes, and on Monday, I flew back home for the remainder of my break. Flying across the country took a lot out of me, so I spent most of yesterday snuggled up on the couch with my dog. My body needed the rest, and today I feel much better. I just got my haircut and I love it! ☺️ Here’s to enjoying the rest of my summer before I start my senior year of undergrad!
Depression is not feeling sad that your favorite show went on break. ⁣ Depression is not feeling bummed when a concert or vacation ends.⁣ Depression is not having your heart broken.⁣ Depression is not grief.⁣ Emotions can be incredibly powerful, and they are not at all invalid, but they are different from mental illnesses.⁣ ⁣ So, what is clinical depression?⁣ ⁣ According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Major depression is a serious and complex mental health condition that affects approximately 16 million American adults (almost 7% of the population) annually. Depression impacts people differently, so the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment will look different for each individual (more detailed information on NAMI’s website). Source: http://www.nami-dac.org/news/major-depression/⁣ ⁣ When my depression is debilitating, I feel like a heavy grey cloud is weighing on me for sometimes days, weeks, or months at a time, and it is extremely difficult to do basic things like get out of bed or brush my teeth. Depression has led me to believe that the world would be better off without me. Depression is a monster, and my heart goes out to anyone who has suffered or is currently suffering from it.⁣ ⁣ Although depression is unique to the individual, the commonality among those with clinical depression is that they are battling a mental illness, and that is significantly different from intense emotions.⁣ ⁣ Clinical depression is not the equivalent of sadness, and mental illnesses are not adjectives. So please try to be sensitive to those living with mental illnesses and choose your words wisely.
Lately, as I get ready for bed, my perfectionism starts to swirl around in my head and tell me, “I’m not doing enough.” After thinking about that for a while last night, I decided to shift the way that thought was affecting me.⁣ ⁣ “I’m not doing enough” turned into “Actually, I am doing enough. I’m being too hard on myself.” Then I thought about how that feeling of wanting to do more does not mean that what I’m currently doing is inadequate, but rather it shows my determination to keep working towards my goals. If I didn’t have that, then I wouldn’t be making progress in college, my career goals, and my personal goals.⁣ ⁣ What’s a negative thought you have about yourself? Is there a way you can reframe it? 🌟
I’m currently writing a paper about what Intuitive Eating is and how this practice has helped heal my relationships with food and my body. This paper is an alternative project for an Intro to Nutrition course I’m taking this summer. The original project was to keep a food diary for a week using MyFitnessPal and the purpose of the project was to put everything we’ve learned about nutrients and their functions in our body into practice. I knew from the minute I saw that project on the syllabus that it would be harmful to my recovery, so I emailed my professor, explained my history with an eating disorder, and we discussed alternative assignments. My professor has been incredibly accommodating and understanding and I’m so appreciative of that. ⁣ ⁣ If you find yourself in a situation that could be harmful to your mental health whether it be for school, work, or any other aspect of life, advocate for yourself! You don’t need to reveal more about your personal experiences than you feel comfortable sharing. It can be difficult and scary, and of course, you may not always end up having your needs met. But it absolutely doesn’t hurt to try and ask for what you need. ⁣ ⁣ Stand up for yourself, and be your own advocate 💜⁣ ⁣ #inneracceptancejourney
Lately I’ve been working really hard to prioritize and take better care of myself. I noticed that my main obstacle was my inner critic telling me I don’t deserve to be taken care of and that I’m not enough the way I am. I thought creating a mantra could help me through this. It needed to be something that I genuinely believed, not something that felt superficial. ⁣ ⁣ My mantra is ~⁣ ⁣ I am resilient.⁣ I deserve self-care.⁣ I deserve self-compassion.⁣ I have worth.⁣ ⁣ This image is now my screensaver, and I try to repeat my mantra out loud at least once a day.⁣ ⁣ What is one thing you could do today to work on improving your self-esteem?⁣ ⁣ You deserve it, and you are enough 💜 ⁣ #inneracceptancejourney

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