Stand up, love yourself.
Speak up for yourself.
Sometimes, you have to fight for yourself. Learn the laws, learn protective factors, and speak up, or you’ll never know how your inspiring story can positively affect the world, including other males of color.
Develop a positive morning routine with gratitude and intention.
SELF-AWARENESS | MENTAL HEALTH
PREVENTION AND EARLY INTERVENTION
Self-advocacy is all about creating a lifestyle that supports wellness, and doing that requires knowledge. When you are informed, it’s a lot easier to design a self-care plan and find the help and resources you need. Our multimedia approach to mental health will help you get there faster.
In addition, hearing from other people who have dealt with issues similar to your own provides comfort and support. Everyone has a story to tell, and sometimes hearing from someone who’s been where you are can be therapeutic. You may soon realize there are others in the same space also seeking wellness and brotherhood.
Because the world is full of stigma surrounding mental health, an essential part of self-advocacy is choosing to shove it to the side. Stigma is contagious. Just being around it can make us internalize people’s negative ideas about us. It can make even the most informed people start to doubt reality and take in harmful stereotypes. This can bring about feelings of shame, sadness, self-doubt, and other self-sabotaging emotions that stand in the way of self-value.
So strive to live without stigma. Put your wellness first at all costs. Recognize you are worth taking the time for self-care, support, and knowledge. Know that you are more than your challenges or your diagnosis. Be kind and patient with yourself. Understand that you deserve kindness and patience from others, even if you don’t always receive it. Advocating for yourself begins with believing in yourself.