In the last year, these phrases have almost become a trend. We've started to have more open conversations about how we feel and how we process our feelings. And, I am here for it.
It's always important to remember, that self-care and healing aren't your typical straight lines and aesthetically pleasing pictures. It's also messy. Healing hurts just as greatly as the thing you're trying to heal from.
Think about your body and how all the parts work together to help you survive. When we are sick, the body utilizes all the nutrients we provide it with to keep us up and running. Right?
Sometimes, our hair gets the remainder of those nutrients. In Jamaican terms, we'd say, "di wat lef."
So, how does this connect to hair and your state of mind?
Let's talk about it.
Depression, anxiety and/or other issues of mental unwellness can impact your mind and body. Culturally, we've neglected the importance of addressing these needs out of ignorance and stigma. But, we do see a change lately with more awareness about mental health.
We do need to empathize more whenever someone expresses that they are feeling mentally or emotionally unwell. It isn't an excuse.
Sometimes, there are these factors such as biological, environmental, societal, and even trauma that play a role in that imbalance. Though each of these (depression, anxiety) is specific- I'm going to focus on how stress impacts our hair. Whether it's any of these, it does put some strain on the body's functioning and so we've going to refer to it as, stress.
If you've been on your hair journey long enough, you've heard that your hair is always growing. And it's pretty much true. The hair follicles are continuously going through a cycle of growing (Anagen) and resting (Telogen). Stress-induced hair loss is real and it causes the follicles to move into the resting phase which causes shedding. A stressful day at work or home may not lead to severe hair loss, but a prolonged period of stress can. Especially, if the stress is unmanaged.
I experienced a bit of thinning, shedding and breakage during my period of stress. And I can also say, I and others around me could definitely see and feel that my hair was different. Truthfully, my hair isn't very shiny even with product/s but it was looking very dull and dry. This was one of the reasons that I did an impromptu haircut. My hair just didn't feel or look the same.
We can't totally avoid stress. But, it is our responsibility to do our best to choose good habits that will help to reduce stress and keep us mentally well. Being mindful that you should treat yourself with loving care is also so important.
After my haircut, the change in my hair wasn't overnight. I did notice when I was consistent with deep conditioning I really started to feel a difference in my hair. And I went ahead and created a super simple hair care routine that I'd have the bandwidth to manage. Because, when I was depressed I could barely do much of anything.
I felt a shift when I started to come out of my depressive state but it wasn't automatic or easy. I did start trying to create new habits that would be beneficial for me. Making myself a smoothie each morning before breakfast and just being outside in nature was helpful. I started gardening and dove into learning how to grow food. Which was exciting.
Have you had any experience with having difficult seasons in your life? Did it impact your mental health or your hair?
I'd love to hear about it in the comments.
Check out my previous post about my depression and how it impacted my blogging life.
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My difficult season caused weight loss, and my hair and skin were doing the most. We have to be gentle with ourselves in these seasons.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right.
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