Finding Your Sense of Purpose in the Face of Life's Challenges

How Does Having A Sense Of Purpose Impact Our Mental Health And Overall Well-Being?

What are the secrets to leading a life filled with direction and resilience? Join us as we welcome Demetria Nickens, a certified mental health first aid instructor and trauma recovery coach, to the Dove's Inner B.E.A.U.T.Y. Podcast. Demetria brings her extensive experience to uncover how a strong sense of purpose can revolutionize your mental and emotional health. Learn how living authentically and understanding your life's mission can not only boost self-esteem but also lead to less anxiety and better sleep. As we navigate the deep connection between purpose and mental wellness, Demetria shares invaluable insights into how redefining personal goals can elevate your mental health to new heights.

Join us as we explore the transformative power of purpose in overcoming life's challenges and managing trauma. Demetria guides us through recognizing the signs of thriving due to a purpose-driven life and the profound impact it has on emotional resilience. Learn how knowing oneself contributes to moving forward confidently and authentically, and how this journey of self-discovery can aid in navigating even the toughest of life's adversities. Prepare for an engaging discussion that promises to redefine how you view your mental health and purpose, empowering you to live with greater intention and clarity.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to the Doves Inner Beauty Podcast, where we
foster emotional awareness oneindividual at a time.
Leading the way is DemetriaNickens, a certified mental
health first aid instructor andtrauma recovery coach with over
two decades of experience infostering emotional awareness in
others by engaging their mentalhealth.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
Discover how a sense of purpose can transform your
mental and emotional well-being,fostering resilience, happiness
and a deeper connection to life.
Trauma coach and therapistDemetria Nickens explains the
profound link between purposeand mental health.
Welcome back everyone.
This is Garfield Bowen-Cohill,slash producer.

(00:55):
Back in the studio, demetriaNickens.
Demetria, how's it going?

Speaker 3 (01:00):
Going well, going well.
Quick correction I'm not atherapist but I am a coach.
I always like to just make surethat's FYI.
But you're good Go ahead.

Speaker 2 (01:12):
Okay.
So, coach Demetria, how doeshaving a sense of purpose impact
our mental health and overallwellbeing?

Speaker 3 (01:21):
Absolutely so oftentimes people just think
purpose right, what am Isupposed to do with my life?
What are my goals that aredirected right for my life?
People think of purpose in acouple of different ways.
Right, this idea that I'msupposed to serve others, or
what has God said that I'msupposed to do, or I've just got

(01:42):
these goals that I want to getto right.
Your mental health is going toimpact it and how you move
forward.
And so there are not manystudies that are out there about
purpose and mental health.
But the studies that are outthere from the American
Psychological Association reallysay that lower anxiety, better
sleep.

(02:03):
Anyone that's ever done anytype of study like that has said
that these things are betterfor you when you have a sense of
direction.
So this idea that because youhave this direction in your life
, you feel better about yourself, you have better self-esteem,
you are not worried as much inlife, you go about life on that

(02:27):
spectrum of mental health.
You're higher on that spectrum,right, you know you're feeling
better most days because youhave that sense of confidence,
because you have this direction.
But without it, they find theopposite, that when there is
that lack of purpose, whenpeople are like I don't know
what I want to do with my life.
What's going on?
I don't have this purpose.
There is this idea wherethere's lack of sleep, more

(02:50):
anxiety, less concentration andthings they want to do easily
distracted A lot of those thingsthat contribute to mental
health decline, anxiety, areimpacted.
And so, when I look at this,there's something to it, this
idea that if we think about,well, what is the purpose, right

(03:12):
, what is it that we're tryingto do in this life?
How do we define it forourselves?
What does that look like?
How can we think more aboutthat so we can get to this idea
of having better mental health,right, being higher up on that
mental health spectrum continuumthan not?
So it's definitely impacts andwe don't think about it that way

(03:34):
.
We just think about our goalsand what we want to do, but we
don't think about how our mentalhealth will either stop us or,
you know, keep us from gettingto those goals or even thinking
about those goals, because we'refocused on something else,
because we're something else isgoing on with us that we need to
take care of.
So it's just a different way toconsider how we view our mental
health.

Speaker 2 (03:56):
Are there specific signs that indicate someone is
thriving due to a strong senseof purpose?

Speaker 3 (04:04):
Oh man, I think when you know yourself, a lot of
times people just kind of goabout life and they don't feel
like they know themselves enoughto determine even what their
purpose is right.
They are very knowledgeableabout themselves, they live

(04:27):
authentically in who they are,they manage right their mental
health and they're movingtowards the goals that they want
in their life because of that.
So I would say when we livemore authentically in who we are
, we're definitely moving in theright direction.

Speaker 2 (04:45):
Okay, a couple more questions for you.
I know you love questions, I do.
How does purpose helpindividual navigate challenges
and trauma?

Speaker 3 (04:53):
Ooh.
So when we think aboutnavigating challenges, right,
when we think about, let's say,whatever challenge we may have
that's going on with us, right,one, you know, how can I look at
how I feel about this challenge, right?
How is my feeling towards it,my emotion toward it, changing
my reaction, right?
So what is my feelings andthoughts about this thing making

(05:17):
me do and so, or making me notdo?
Right?
Oftentimes we hear someone thatmay be depressed.
You know, they don't have theenergy to get up out of bed,
they don't have the energy tomove and be and to do the things
and to even to leave the house.
That is a serious symptom ofdepression, right?
Just trying to force them toget out of the bed and say, oh

(05:44):
no, you can do it, Just get upand go.
Right, we need to think about,okay, what are the smaller
things that this person can doto try to start moving in the
direction of not being depressed, right?
Do they get up and see theircoach or their therapist?
Do they get up to eat at least?
Right?
What are the smaller thingsthat they could do to start
moving in that more positivedirection?

(06:07):
How do they get to this spaceCan they start to work on the
healing through that, so thatthey can get to the space that
works for them, and so thinkingabout it in smaller goals
instead of bigger, overwhelminggoals.
Oftentimes people just thinkabout this bigger, overwhelming
goal of just I've got to get upand just go work for 40 hours a

(06:27):
week.
Well, maybe that's too big of agoal for somebody that is
suffering from a mental healthchallenge, and so maybe
something starting smaller sothat they can possibly even get
to this point is important forthem.
What are the things they'resaying to themselves?
Positive affirmations areimportant.
Once again, it's the smallthings.
Oftentimes, we really don'tthink about the small thing,

(06:49):
noticing what are the things wesay to ourselves?
How do we feeling right that'sgoing to get us moving and doing
right?
We cannot be human doers untilwe decide to be human feelers
and people that genuinely aregoing to feel what we need to
feel and then move past it.

(07:10):
Right.
But we cannot just continuouslygo, go, go, go, go without a
repercussion coming at us atsome point.
Right, our body is going totell us at some point, even if
we don't want to face it withour emotion, our body is going
to tell us and so being able tosay how do I move through this

(07:30):
thing from a smaller standpointin order to get to a bigger idea
?
And so sometimes it's reallyabout focusing on you first.
Right, what are the things thatI need to do?
I need to think about me andhow I want to serve in this
world.
Do I want to do things that arefocused on me, that I need to
focus on me because my mentalhealth isn't where it can be to

(07:51):
focus on other people, or am Iat a point where I can focus on
other people and I can serveothers?
Right, and I can do things forothers and I can help others,
but we got to take care of usfirst.
If you've ever heard of thesaying you can't pour into an
empty cup, can't pour into youthat whole saying, it's true,
right.
When you are not who you needto be, you cannot go out and
help others.

(08:12):
So you got to get to where youcan be so you can go and assist
others.
If that's what you feel likepurpose is right, and maybe
that's not purpose for you andthat's OK, and I think it's part
of the problem is people don'tknow what it is or how they see
purpose within themselves?
Is that serving others?
Is that being the best you youcould be?
Is that something that you feellike you have to hear from God

(08:33):
to say?
You know, god has given me thispurpose, Right.
Whatever that is, and howeveryou see, it is important for you
to acknowledge so you can getthrough.
Whatever it is that you need toget through to get there.
Otherwise, you're just notgoing to get there.
You're going to be stagnant atsome point.

Speaker 2 (08:51):
It sounds like you're sharing daily habits, and
practice can strengthen one'sself-purpose.

Speaker 3 (08:58):
Absolutely, absolutely.

Speaker 2 (09:00):
All right you knocked it out the box again to meet
you.
Thank, you um love it.
Catch you in the next episode.

Speaker 1 (09:07):
You have a wonderful day thanks thank you for tuning
in to the doves inner beautypodcast, where we foster
emotional awareness, oneindividual at a time.
For a complimentaryconsultation consultation visit
DovesInnerBeautycom or call336-298-6599.

(09:30):
That's 336-298-6599.