12: Finding Your Bliss Despite Depression and Anxiety (with Whitney Lang)

After experiencing complications from a virus, Whitney Lang found herself experiencing anxiety and depression. After trying to dull her pain with alcohol, she made the choice to get help, which triggered a chain reaction of choices that led her to a thriving new business, building a new home, and finding bliss in her daily life.

 

Nuggets of Wisdom from Whitney:

• “Follow your bliss.”
• “My bliss is all about being happy and feeling good and making healthy choices and just that feeling of overall good energy.”
• “There were many occasions when I would drink myself into comfort.”
• “I went back down the path of drinking and smoking again. I was really hating on myself for it. Yet I consciously did it. I was physically and emotionally depleted.”
• “I decided I needed to get really honest with myself about what my issues really were. I identified that I needed to seek help. I finally mustered up the courage to see my family doctor and he diagnosed me with being severely clinically depressed and I got on medication and it honestly changed my life.”
• “I have a great life. I have a wonderful family and a healthy little boy. There's nothing bad about my life, but I still struggled with the anxiety and depression.”
• “After starting depression medication I was way more patient with my son's toddler tendencies. I was way more patient with myself, too. It was much easier for me to speak my truth.”
• “I've learned that when I surround myself with positivity I'm just overall a happier person. On social media I follow positive people and I unfollow the Negative Nancies.”
• “When I meditate I take a moment and I'm ‘Hoovering' my soul.”

 

Some of Whitney's Favorite Things:

• Personal habit: prayer and meditation and finding her bliss. “I force myself to take a few moments to regroup throughout the day and focus on the big picture. My meditation is a guided meditation.”
• Easy meal: Hamburger patties over sauteed portabello mushroom with veggies and quinoa.
• Possession: Essential oil diffuser. I like to diffuse lemon or citrusy oils in the morning because they help wake me up.
• Book: The Desire Map by Danielle LaPorte. “She guides me to look inside my heart and soul for the answers and she helps me focus on how I want to feel.”
• Bucket List Item: “I want to take my son to DisneyWorld and take my whole family along, too. I also want to travel to Australia and New Zealand some day.”
• Best Advice received: “Don't put off until tomorrow what can be done today.”
• Happiest memory: When she married her husband Arthur.

 

Whitney's Happiness Formula:

“I am happiest when I wake up before my son and get to have quiet time and gather my thoughts, when I pause to have moments of gratitude and meditation, when I'm eating pretty clean and being active, and when my home is in order, organized, tidy and clean.”

 

A Challenge from Whitney:

“Try my ‘Soul Hoovering.' Make time for yourself throughout the day. Take a few deep breaths. Think of what you're grateful for. Gratitude is seriously the biggest mood booster ever. Taking a few moments to focus on the good in your life will seriously transform your entire day.”

 

Resources:

• Mom's 5-day Sanity Saver Meditation Challenge
• The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up (Konemari Method) by Marie Kondo
• Erin Condren Planners
• The Desire Map by Danielle LaPorte

 

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