Notes from the Community, Volume I
It’s not just an essay series, it’s also a community! Check out some popular comments, links, and more. 🏘️
That’s right, A Year of Mental Health is multidimensional. And you can expect more features as the year unfolds.
Twelve days ago, we began a new year and this new endeavor. 🥳
I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but my hope was that it would feel like old-school blogging—and it does! I’m so excited to share this time and space with you.
This “Notes from the Community” format will go out every so often, and may develop further along with everything else. (Yes, I really am building this series in real-time. Very little was pre-written before we started Jan. 1.)
Popular Comments 📝
Most posts will have the option to comment—and it’s so fun to see readers jumping in!
In this section I’ll highlight a few recent comments that were upvoted the most by the community. (These are edited lightly for brevity, without changing the tone. Read the full comments and many more on each post’s page.)
From Elle, on the post Unhelpful Life Advice:
What has actually worked was giving up "productive" mornings. Gently waking and easing into my day results in an overall quieter pace and reduction in anxiety. It took me a long time to realize that I didn't owe the most vibrant part of my day to to a job. I took it back as mine. Good for the CEO who gets a day's worth of tasks checked off before 7am, but, for me, the quiet, reclaiming of my morning results in a day I enjoy.
And from Marianne Beal Peters:
What's been helpful: not tracking my steps and focusing on enjoying my walks for their own sake. In fact, I don't track anything anymore. I just DO things—lift weights a couple times a week, amble around the neighborhood, go to yoga on Tuesdays, eat veggies, and read all the books I want. As someone with a chronic condition that's sometimes unpredictable, it was discouraging when I had weeks where things didn't go the way I expected. Now every time I get a walk in or have a delicious meal, I feel so grateful.
From Shannon M Callarman, on the post Overthinking:
I'm definitely an overthinker, but what has helped me use it as a strength instead of a disadvantage is learning to lean into my thoughts. Thinking about my thoughts is a way to switch from unhelpful ruminating ("I can't stop thinking about how awkward I was!") to "Why does it matter to me that I felt awkward?” The 5x5 rule helps a lot here - will this matter in 5 years? If not, don't spend more than 5 minutes thinking about it.
From Lorrie Be, on the post It Was Going So Well, Until It Wasn’t:
I was told in therapy that I was "parenticized" at an early age, and subsequently became a lifelong people pleaser. When I moved to a new location four years ago, I made the intentional decision to introduce myself as a "3A" person; someone who lives with addiction, anxiety and awesomeness. People reacted in different ways, most with laughter and empathy. When you open up to others and start talking about your own journey, they open up, too, and begin sharing.
And from Stella’s Acorn:
I gave up on productivity measures in the middle of COVID when I realized all the tools were doing to me what they were doing to you. When I'm feeling at my worst, I know it's time to do the exact opposite of what makes productive sense. I need to just go connect with someone that has nothing to do with the thing I'm trying to fix/create/finish/start. My other go to is getting outside and connecting with nature and really noticing the details of the small moments. Those are kind of total opposites, but they both work for me.
Last but not least, Trina Haynes:
Looking forward to this series—I know it will benefit so many people, myself included. When I feel stuck, I set up virtual coffee dates with friends who inspire me. I always walk away from these conversations with new ideas and more motivation. If you don't have many friends, reach out to someone who inspires you and TELL THEM that they inspire you and that you want to connect with them.
(Note: Check out Trina’s mega-popular Instagram account, @myladyadhd.)
Art & Other Fun Things
“I Met You Today” - I love this project from two longtime friends, Nate and Jay. Here’s how they describe it:
We each carry a small card with us at all times. It’s basically a business card for “I Met You Today,” containing the web address and a note that says “check this site in 24 hours.” When we meet someone who makes a big impression on us, we give them the card when we leave. Now the clock is ticking – we have 24 hours to write up our experience and post it to the site.
Also, Jason McBride posted that he was feeling down and would draw anything that people asked for. I requested a cat running on the beach—and got this back within an hour! ⬇️
Substacks I Liked
For those who aren’t familiar (a lot of people came in from my email list), this project is hosted through Substack, a newsletter platform. Many of my writer friends are here as well, including
, , , , , , , , , and .In addition, here are a few posts from other writers I’ve enjoyed recently:
My Routine by
— “‘How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives,’ wrote the author Annie Dillard and I think of this quote every day.”- — “When you were 4 years old and you drew pictures or performed in front of the mirror, you did it to amuse yourself. You performed and created for the sheer joy of it.”
- — “Mozart lived with a vision of greatness always in his mind. Find your place among great people, his father told him. And he did.”
Note: if you’re publishing on Substack, feel free to comment in this post with the name of your publication so that other readers can find you.
Special Thanks to our Paid Subscribers
As promised, most content on A Year of Mental Health will be completely free.
Of course, a monthly fee of $10,000 will kick in after you’ve read three articles … JUST KIDDING IT’S STILL FREE.
Paid subscribers make this possible.
Even though I haven’t said much about it yet, many of you have already upgraded your subscriptions—and I am grateful! Thank you. 🙏 🙏 🙏
One fun thing I discovered: when someone upgrades, Substack offers subscribers a chance to write a note to the creator, which can be shared with the subscriber’s permission.
I haven’t shared any of them until now, but I thought I’d include a small selection here:
Again, I want this project to be helpful and valuable to you. We’re just getting started, and it’s going to be a fun year.
Scholarships Coming Soon
What if you want a paid subscription but can’t afford it? It’s all good, we’ve got you covered! 🤝
Soon, we’ll introduce an official scholarship plan where you can pay whatever you can afford. For now, send a note to team @ chrisguillebeau .com with the word “Scholarship” in the subject line. We’ll help you get whatever option you need.
On the Horizon
Alright, that’s it for now! I’ll be back Monday at 7am Pacific time. Upcoming topics include: hypersensitivities, rules of engagement, and how to breathe (short version: it’s harder than you think).
Also, more overthinking, because that’s how overthinking works.
Maybe I shouldn’t have written that line. Maybe I should delete it. Maybe I should add it back…
So funny about breathing! I was a theatre major and we did a LOT of breathing in acting classes. It was the biggest struggle for me and I always said if there was a class in breathing I would fail. 😂
Oh my, this has soooo much good advice in it. It gives me LIFE to read about all the ways that your community are sinking into softness and self-compassion rather than the productivity punishment we’ve all been putting ourselves through. I completely agree with all these people who are reclaiming their mornings for themselves.