May 8, 2014: My first blog entry. HMMM, Here goes :)
First, I'd like to briefly introduce myself. I'm Mark Lalonde, 28, from Montreal, Canada. I am young at heart, creative and mindful. My aim in blogging is to share my outlook of life, which is based on living for the NOW. To start off, my first blog will outline the good things I am doing NOW for my well-being and mental health. In regards to my mental health, I am FINE now, but at a certain stage of life, was PHINE. I share my story in the next paragraph :)
WAS PHINE, BUT NOW I'M FINE!
I am FINE, and taking the necessary action to improve my mental health. Things I am doing for my sanity are taking long walks in nature, spending valuable time with family and friends, making new friends, as well as advocating for well-being and mental health awareness in the Montreal community. However, if you were to ask me the same question in May 2012, I would tell you I'm PHINE (i.e. say I'm fine when in reality, I am not fine). While at grad school, I had the tendency to not chat a lot to my peers, and got very stressed due to the high loads of pressure associated with being a grad student. I feared being fired by my supervisory committee due to incompetency. I also feared walking across the streets of Montreal at that time, owing to the daily violent protests and hostilities of the student strike. These events did not help my mental health and almost made me head towards a nervous breakdown. Fortunately, I took action to overcome my fears, by speaking to my parents and close friends, who were and always are very supportive. I learned to 'do what I can' with grad school and not take things personally and not fear failure. I learned not to take political events too seriously, and accept that some things that happen in society are beyond my control. I also hired a mentor, whom I would speak to on a weekly basis, and who was very supportive. As well, I hired proofreaders to help me with my Thesis, a pivotal component of my Masters' degree. And most importantly, I learned mindfulness. Mindfulness implies focusing on the NOW, and accepting life for WHAT IS. By re-shifting my thinking to the NOW, it has helped my mental health significantly, as well as my performance at work. It has also helped me have better relationships with my family and friends, and give me the ability to meet new people and be an active participant in community events. In other words, focusing on the NOW got me out of my shell. But it was not an overnight process. It took many years of hard work and persistence to get there. And I am eternally grateful to those who believed in me (i.e. my family, friends, you). Without your continuing support, I would be PHINE and not FINE.
