Mental Health Check - A letter from the CGO
Note to Reader: This letter was originally sent as an email to our member base on Wednesday, December 9th, one day after a major COVID-19 lockdown was announced. It is being shared now by request, in hope that it may provide comfort, tools, or, at the very least, a reminder that you are not alone.
My current favourite “therapy” - mountain adventures with my pup Elvis. Photo taken December 2, 2020 at Lake Minnewanka
Hey you,
How are you coping?
If you are in Alberta, or have people you love in Alberta, you may be reeling after the announcements yesterday. I know I have felt angry, sad, frustrated, scared, and lost, at times all within the course of an hour. And that is okay. Because, as a collective, we are navigating a natural disaster. And the really hard part is that this tsunami is so slow moving that we are watching it unfold and trying to control it but really, none of us have done this before - not even the experts. And we are all sad and grieving and feeling all the feels and mourning in our own ways - for lives lost, for jobs lost, for plans cancelled, for the society we thought we once knew, for the liberties we fear are lost forever. That's a lot for anyone to process - and when you add in the pressure cooker of social media (because what else is there to do?), it becomes a bit of an explosion ready to happen.
But you already know all that, so instead, I want to share something you haven't heard before. Something pretty personal, that I hope might help you.
Last August, I was depressed. I was 6 months into navigating my first pandemic as a small business owner, I had just been forced to close my first studio, and still no one could give me a clear path forward. I had landlords and banks and utility companies all coming after me and fighting over scraps, when all I wanted to do was focus on saving my second business. Every day was another fight, another plea, another sob-fest at my kitchen counter, another moment of WTF??!!
And honestly, I shut down. I stopped working out. Junk food and alcohol became my coping tools of choice. I felt so ashamed – I am supposed to own a gym, and this is my life? And so I hid, even more, and coped even more. Before long even my stretchy pants were tight (I didn’t dare try on my jeans). Until one day I woke up with stomach pains – like I could feel an ulcer forming – and that was my wake-up call. The last thing I need is to be hospitalized due to stress, or destroy my immune system and get sick. I knew I needed to start moving again – history has shown me that movement is the first puzzle piece toward dealing with stress and feeling better. But I had ZERO motivation to do it.
And so, I reached out to my friend Lucy. I told her my whole story, and begged for accountability to start working out again. And slowly but surely, over the next 3 months, I found myself again. But more than just exercising, I developed 3 mantras for this period of life, that I want to share with you:
One day at a time, one foot in front of the other. We have NO idea what the world will look like next year or even next week, because we are not in control. So just focus on what you can control, right now, today.
Jobs and businesses come and go. But I am here with me for the long game. So I better learn to love me – just exactly as I am – and not only as my “job”
Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude. Practice it, find it, write it, share it. Do things and go places that make you feel grateful. For me, that is ALWAYS a walk or run in the sunshine, ideally close to a river or mountains.
Dear friends, this storm will not last forever, but we do have to ride the waves, and we need to look after ourselves first. Remember when we used to fly and hear "put your own mask on before assisting another"? It's true - we need to look after our own basic needs to stay healthy enough to fight this disease and be there for others. So close your eyes and check in with yourself – what do you need? If you need peace, delete your social media apps. If you need connection, phone a relative (they are home anyway!). If you need to feel happier, write a Christmas card or surprise a friend with a Starbucks gift card or support a charity.
And if you, like me, realize that you need a stress release, and a way to keep moving while gyms are shut down, I can absolutely help you there:
Every time you make a purchase from a small business, a real human does a happy dance.
Join us online for 2 LIVE Zoom workouts per day. And honestly – join live, and turn your camera on. Our Coaches love it when you join live, and your workout will be 100% better with the accountability! (Bonus points: text a friend to join the same class and have a “virtual sweat date”! Check out the schedule here
Rent some weights from us and turn your living room into your new home gym!
Join the Wolf Pack Facebook Group and post every day how you are moving for 30 minutes, and cheer on your sweat mates! (Registration for our January 1 challenge opens next week!)
Need more accountability? Email christina@crushcamp.com for online programming and virtual P/T options
Follow @crushcamp, @christinaollivier, @coach.rachh, and @dunnebells on Instagram for inspiration, workouts, and upcoming challenges.
Whatever you choose to do, stay active, stay grateful, and stay positive. I know that there are blue skies ahead – we just have to weather the storm. And like all challenges, it is so much easier if you are not alone.
To health!
Emily S
Founder + Chief Goal Officer
CrushCamp
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