This past week in South Florida, we have been preparing for Hurricane Irma, a Category 4/5 hurricane that has been threatening us all week. Hurricane preparations are stressful and I was busy up until my office closed on Thursday, September 7th. Many of my clients came in and wanted to process their anxiety about the storm. During my sessions and my own hurricane prep, I started to realize that our values come into action during periods of stress. This hurricane reminded me what I value the most and how I express them.
You value what you protect
I decided to leave my house for the hurricane. When you leave your house during a hurricane, you have limited space on what you can bring. I had to make many decisions about what is most important to me. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs kicked in and I knew I needed to bring the most basic things with me, like functional clothes, shoes, toiletries and hurricane supplies. I did grab my favorite purse, photos and some other personal items that have no purpose other than I was emotionally attached to them. As I made the final preparations, I looked around my house at the things I thought were so important to me but in the end, they were replaceable. This really helped put things into perspective for me and helped me realize what I value the most.
Your family and friends become the most important thing
What I truly value the most is my family and my friends. My family includes my pets. They were one of my first priorities. I made sure they had enough food, water, treats and identifying information for them. I got into contact with family members and friends and let them know my plans and provided them with additional means of contact. I worried about my parents. I worried about my siblings. I worried about my friends. I worried about my clients. And I realized that this is completely normal because I value my relationships. And my friends showed me what they value most in their lives. One of my friends shared that she stocked up enough baby formula for her and her baby to survive a Zombie Apocalypse. She valued her baby’s life above everything else and she took the necessary steps to protect her baby.
Mental health always needs to be valued
I started to feel very anxious about the storm. Going shopping and cleaning and making sure all of our preparations were in place helped make me feel better. Someone asked me, should I travel out of the state. I asked them if it would help reduce their anxiety and they said yes, so I acknowledged that we all needed to make whatever decisions necessary to maintain our mental health. Many people I knew decided to stay and hunker down in their houses. I believe this can be translated to other times of our lives. If we are experiencing anxiety, we have the responsibility to do things to reduce our anxiety. We have the responsibility to take care of our mental health, in periods of tension, as well as on a regular basis. Though many people may not have direct control over their mental health issues, you do have control about what you do about it.
The storm is approaching as I write this blogpost but it isn’t supposed to be a direct hit to Broward County anymore. That’s probably why I had a clear head to be able to write this post. I leave you with some homework (not much different than I leave my clients with when they leave session). Take a look at what you value in your life and how you can live your values without working too much about what’s replaceable in your life. Take time to connect with friends and family. Continue to value your mental health and make healthy decisions that support you.
Amanda Patterson, LMHC, CAP , Mental Health Counselor of the Year by the Florida Mental Health Counseling Association, decided to become a therapist while attending Nova Southeastern University. She saw the need to help people achieve the life they wanted to live, while creating a life of her own. She completed her master’s in Mental Health Counseling and started a career in the juvenile justice arena. Amanda has been a therapist for ten years and has a private practice in Wellington, Florida, specializing in depression, anxiety, relationship issues, and substance abuse in teenagers and young adults. Amanda is a believer in holistic treatment and she practices veganism, meditation and yoga in her life. Find out more about her practice here.
To schedule an appointment, call or text Amanda at 561-223-1066 or email her at amanda@amandapattersonlmhc.com.
