I have often been moved or impressed by things Kat Weed shared in her instagram account, so asked if she would take over our Wellness Almanac instagram. In the spirit of using social media more mindfully, to try and boost mental health, rather than damage it, here’s Kat.

by Kat Weed

I really enjoyed my week as guestagrammer for the Wellness Almanac.

As a recent addition to the community, it was really rewarding to share my experiences and thoughts on wellness, and in essence, “put myself out there” within an online community comprised mainly of Pemberton residents.

As I mentioned in my first post as guestagrammer, my goal while on social media is to be as honest, authentic and transparent as possible.

This isn’t to somehow incur sympathy (or even empathy) from others, or to be “dramatic” or self-congratulatory regarding my own personal story or experiences in life. Rather, this is to normalize the imperfection of our experience as human beings, and to emphasize that the constant shift that we all experience on a moment to moment or day to day basis is actually normal; in fact, this constant flux is the one thing that unites us as a species.

We are constantly exposed to an idealized, unrealistic version of “happiness” as a static state of being, rather than being taught that happiness is simply “one of many” emotions that we will likely feel in a day.

This can naturally lead to us shaming ourselves when we are struggling emotionally; we might be less likely to share our insecurities or fears with others, because we feel we are somehow “wrong” for having them. We might fear being judged for not being “good” or “fine” or “happy” all the time.

The most insidious part of a culture which prizes shiny, varnished versions of being human over the real thing, is that we actually begin to shut down and turn inward when we are struggling, which can lead to all sorts of mental, emotional, and physiological dis-ease.

As Brene Brown says, “shame can only exist in secrecy”. And as a therapist, I can tell you that we all have damn good reasons for the feelings that come up for us; they are purposeful, and full of information.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean they won’t hurt any less. By acknowledging all of who we are, instead of shutting down different parts of our experience (and then shaming ourselves for having these “bad” feelings in the first place), we begin the process of allowing ourselves to come into relationship with our experience in a different way.

In posting as I did as guestagrammer (and as I typically do on my own page), I hope to address the reality of the human experience.

Being guestagrammer for the week was a great opportunity for me to reflect on what I feel are the key elements of wellness and health.

And in my opinion, learning to come into relationship with our feelings is the foundation of true wellness and health. Let’s celebrate what makes us human, no filter necessary.