Mall of Louisiana Mass Shooting. Trump & High Gas Prices. Financial & Stress Awareness

Financial strain directly causes significant anxiety and worry, impacting mental well-being across all age groups. Generational trauma and learned financial habits, such as living paycheck-to-paycheck or 'robbing Peter to pay Paul,' often dictate current financial behaviors and stress levels.

Mayu Mckenley states, 'I don't know anyone where there's any type of financial strain that they don't have an enormous amount of anxiety or worry.' She highlights how messages and habits from parents and grandparents, often rooted in scarcity, influence current financial mindsets.

Recognizing toxic patterns early involves observing a partner's energy, how they treat others (family, friends, ex-partners), and heeding the concerns of loved ones. True self-love, distinct from self-care, means living in alignment with one's worth and not accepting relationships where one is treated 'special' while others are treated poorly.

Dr. Tori Pathro Wy advises women to 'notice just energy, like when we walk in a room together, how does he act? How does he respond to other people around me? How does he respond to my family?' She emphasizes that 'self-care and self-love are different' and asks, 'Am I dating like I love myself?'

Chronic stress elevates cortisol, triggering fight-or-flight responses and manifesting as anxiety, physical tension, and even serious cardiovascular issues, particularly for women. Effective stress management requires acknowledging the interconnectedness of mind, body, and soul, and actively regulating the nervous system.

Sedaria Cook explains that humans naturally produce cortisol, the stress hormone, and that stress 'shows up kind of as anxiety a lot of times.' She notes that stress 'can cause a lot of cardiovascular issues' and is the 'number one killer for all women, but a lot of times black women experience the highest burden of that.'

Boundaries are crucial for protecting one's peace and energy, enabling individuals to function optimally for themselves and others. Overcoming the guilt associated with boundaries requires a shift in perspective, understanding that one cannot pour from an empty cup. Intrusive thoughts, though unsettling, are not always factual and can be managed by questioning their validity and actively replacing them with positive, alternative thoughts through brain training.

Sedaria Cook states, 'Boundaries are not us rejecting people. They're us protecting ourselves.' She adds, 'You really can't pour from an empty place.' Regarding intrusive thoughts, she advises, 'Just because you think it doesn't mean that's who you are... you can train the brain and you can train your brain to hey when this comes up this is what I'm saying.'