3 Tools to Self-Manage Your Mental Health in Entrepreneurship

Hey Shoppe Gal fam!

Thank you SO Much for hanging out with me. This week’s chit chat is about mental health but first some reflection ~

I’m in a space of gratitude because this blog still hits even when I’m flakey AF – I don’t mean to to be but trying to get some things in order for my biz bb so yeah ~

To celebrate getting my own house in order I’m hanging out for some self care chit chat with my good girlfriends – some real boss baddies, talking creativity for self-care

And speaking of getting my house in order …

for the past 3 years I’ve been on a journey to reach 6 figures and happy to report that NICCA WE MADE IT! And to supa celebrate, I’m speaking in Cleveland, OH!

Join me – in person or virtually ~

I’ll update you all about my 6-figure journey later in another post. But long story short, I got a bomb af coach who’s brought so much clarity to my life and biz with a gazillion short, deep diving ass questions that I’m eternally grateful for ~

I’ll stop there so we can dig in to this week’s post but keep reading for some DOPE AF updates.

3 Tools to Self-Manage Mental Health

World mental health awareness day recently passed. And I wanted to take a moment to share things from my personal toolkit to help you along your tattoo or art entrepreneurship journey.

Why? Because real talk, life is already WTF and entrepreneurship is HARD – guaranteed to uncover or exacerbate some of our already present mental instabilities.

While EVERYDAY is mental health awareness day, World Mental Health Awareness Day is an opportunity to talk about these things, from taboo & misunderstood to the common things like anxiety, in general.

As tattoo and art entrepreneurs we don’t have the same access to tools and care. And I find having practical tools handy extremely helpful. Because entrepreneurship is all about stretching you, I thought the best tools to share are those to help you self-pace BEFORE panic.

Here’s my ‘rainy day’ self-managing toolkit, just for you!

I found having these were of most use while stretching myself in Japan or when entrepreneur’ing far from home, away from my known safe spaces & people in general. That only leaves me to myself and my own devices to self-manage overstimulation that will trigger extreme panic … for days.

Create a Kit of Familiar Things

Look, we never know when we’ll go from functioning to WTF. But sometimes it’s not too far gone. And calls for simple regrounding. I found that having familiar things help tons.

While I have an ESA, my old man Mingus, I can’t have him in Japan. So I keep a kit of familiar things to keep me present and not checking out, going too far off in my head. It’s got 3 important things that trigger my senses:

1. my calming smell goods (raw amber to rub on my hands & neck),

2. an identifiable object I can hold in my hand (used to be my fiance’s first spray can cap)

3. a playlist (of curated feel good music moments by my fiance).

Get An Isolation Partner

Isolation can be dangerous AF and the worst time for your mind to play tricks on you. Ghetto Boys Mind Playin’ Tricks On You is way more than a relatable bop, yah dig.

So when you find the ‘one’ you can pop in & out with let em know & latch on. It’s OK!

Beyond telling you I can’t I won’t talk to everyone about my instabilities intimately. Ain’t none of yah business. But my life-saving grace has always been my sister, Nikkia. We share a very important suicide pact. In our space we can be as dark, senacle and shocking as we want/ need. There’s no real concern of triggering the other cuz we’re both ok with not being ok. And if it’s too much we can speak up.

She can see (& has seen) all my dirty laundry … the shit most people wouldn’t even FATHOM of how dark & sick a mind can get. But we just be playing in those fields embracing the darkness for necessary reasons. But even in all that understanding, the pact says that when we reach the edge if the other isn’t ready to go we tuff this life shit out together! You see it worked cuz yah girl still here

Keep Close A Good Therapist & Peer to Peer Group

Ever heard the saying there’s an app for that? Cuz these days, there are plenty live therapist apps. My all time fav app is 7 Cups of Tea. I don’t have to go far for a healthy mix of therapy x peer to peer help. And would you believe I’ve been with that app since it launched in 2013! But I digress ~

Self-isolation, I’ll repeat is dangerous and everyone isn’t going to be available when you NEED them. So having an app like 7 Cups as a comfortable and effective backup is THE most important safety net in this toolk kit.

Fam. I know reaching out can be akward for many of us for many reasons. So I’m leaving this here on the table in hopes that this simple toolkit helps you when you’re in need.

Ganbatte, ne ~I’m rooting for you!