"Songwriting Chic interviews Rapper Yung Joc and media personality Rashan Ali about mental health awareness"

Intro

So many entertainers, musicians, songwriters, producers, and those who work in the creative industries suffer from mental health disorders. Often times personal problems are minimized to maintain a perfect image. Like everyone else, entertainers need love, attention, and support to thrive. It’s important to have compassion and not dehumanize the well-known. Although monetary compensation may provide temporary satisfaction, inner peace cannot be bought. Let’s put our mental health first before anything else. Here is my go to list of healthy alternatives. 

Music

As a songwriter, my number one way of distressing is by listening to music. And this goes all the way back to Ancient Greek times when all we had was words. Words  became literature. Literature became poems. Poems became music. Music eventually became one of the most powerful and efficient ways of people to express their deepest, darkest thoughts, and their happiest thoughts as well. With so many genres of music available, you can always find a song that matches your thoughts.

Pray 

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Prayer sure changes things. Even when someone else prays for you, there's power in that too.

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Check out pastor T.D. Jakes prayer video

https://youtu.be/fs4N6lzz-jQ

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Phone a friend 

Too much small talk and gossip can have a negative affect on your mental health. On the flipside, I do believe that you need a few friends that you can trust and bounce ideas off of from time to time. These type of friends should hold you accountable and not contribute to negative thoughts. You should feel better after talking to a friend and not worse. 

Therapy

Talking to a therapist, or a professional can assist you in finding peace. Most People are ashamed of talking about their problems with their friends and family, which is understandable. It’s refreshing to get feedback from someone who doesn’t know you personally. A therapist can provide you with confidentiality and sound advice that is 

that is non-bias. 

Massage 

Getting rid of tension in your body is just as important as getting rid of tension in your mind. Relaxing your muscles can do wonders. 

Yoga 

Yoga is a great way to center yourself and block out the noise of the world. Hot yoga is great for burning calories in addition to the holistic benefits. 

Take a day off

Taking a break is not the same as giving up. Taking a break is needed to re-charge, reflect, eliminate, identify set backs, and make changes. I often hear people say they don’t need to sleep because there’s too much to do. Even the greatest of the great take breaks and so should you.

Change your scenery 

Waking up everyday looking at the same things and doing the same things can become mundane or boring. It’s important to change your scenery every once in a while. Going on vacation can help in this area.