Mental health is important to Lè Phresh because we feel that it isn’t talked about enough on an everyday basis. As this topic continues to have more light shined on it over the years, we feel it is vital to keep the conversation going. Mental health looks different to all of us, but the more we talk about it, the more we can relate to each other and keep each other grounded as a community. The majority of people harness a stigma that seeking help for your mental health is a bad thing, but when I think about it, how is seeking help to better yourself considered bad?
On this mental health awareness T shirt, we highlighted the mental health awareness color which is green. I didn't want to add any other colors because I wanted to bring all the attention towards the color and the message. This was my way of highlighting the importance of this topic by not blending it with anything else.
On the front side it reads “This is How I Feel & That's Ok” while the back side has a bigger design that reads “It's Ok to Feel How You're Feeling” & “Be Conscious of Your Mental Health”. These messages are things that really resonate with me when it comes to having a healthy mental state of mind so I wanted to share it with everyone else.
Mental Health Comes in Waves
For me, my mental health comes in waves. The first time I realized this was back in 2015 when I discovered I was dealing with my own depression. I didn’t know much about it, but I knew I had a lot going on inside of myself that I didn’t know how to handle. I didn’t realize I was experiencing a change in my own mental health until it changed how I was acting towards other people - and also to myself. I had to figure out a healthy outlet to push me forward and that's when I found my love for the gym.
The more I drowned myself in the gym, the more I discovered that exercise was helping me positively channel the negative energy I was feeling. But every time I left the gym, I would still still be in my own head.
In 2017, I found myself needing to talk about what was going on, rather than just pushing down the feelings like they didn’t exist. As I spoke about it I realized that I was in control more than I thought. And that my feelings were valid - that it was ok to feel how I felt. The biggest lesson I took from this experience was that, no matter how those feelings present themselves, you have to acknowledge them in full - but just don’t stay in that dark place with them.
Your Mental Health Matters
Leading up to now, I relate with the message “This is how I feel and that's okay.”
I want people to resonate with the message on this shirt, and understand that everyone's mental health matters. Being open about your mental health helps others feel like they can talk about it or even just feel comfortable knowing someone is going through something as well. We shouldn't feel ashamed when talking about our feelings because from family, friends, to someone you are meeting for the first time we all need someone to just listen. Sometimes we don't think too much about something until we talk about it. That is what I want to do with the Mental Health Matters T-shirts. I want it to spark that feeling of empowerment, that you have the power to control your feelings, and that it's ok to feel whatever you're feeling. We are all human and life happens to all of us - often when we least expect it.
As we continue to talk with each other, we can help uplift each other and move forward in the right direction. We can help each other find the right outlets to direct negative energy towards a positive outcome. Learning how to harness those emotions and turn them into something positive is such a beautiful process and by keeping an open line of communication with those you love and care for, you quickly realize you are not alone. In some cases, the people around you are potentially struggling with the same issues. Share your experience with us and let's continue the conversation.
Check out the Le Phresh Mental Health Awareness Tee here.