The Art of Coping

Authorʼs Note:
I am thrilled to announce that I have been selected to write this entry on behalf of Maybellineʼs #BraveTogether Mental Health Awareness Month. As someone who has experienced many mental health struggles themselves, this cause is so important to me and I cannot express how glad I am to be a part of Maybelline and Wattpad supporting such an important cause! I know many of you are likely going through similar issues, so I want to remind you that we are all in this fight together. I encourage all of you to submit entries into this contest - that we can all be #bravetogether and spread some much needed #mentalhealthawareness. For every comment, Wattpad and Maybelline will donate $1 to a youth-focused mental health organization.

We cannot control our mental health. We don't get to pick and choose how we feel or when we feel it - but what we do control is how we deal with these things.

I've been battling with depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder the past six years of my life. On top of that, I have gender dysphoria. It's safe to say this has been a difficult time for me, and I don't think I would've been able to make it through all of these struggles if it weren't for my coping skills.

A coping mechanism is an activity we do to feel better when our mental health is taking a toll on us. You could go on a walk, meditate, draw, practice a hobby - any creative task that helps you destress and let go of those negative emotions will help.

Personally, I love to write. Journaling is also a great method to cope, but creative writing is my favorite.

Though unintentional, I tend to put a piece of myself into every character I write. It often just happens as each character begins to develop and blossom into their identity throughout the story.

Throughout this struggle with my poor mental health, I've used writing as a way to cope. It's brought me so much comfort and a deeper understanding of my own consciousness. It allows me to view myself from an outward perspective and gain a meaningful view from a wider perspective.

My character Conan Hill from Running From The Past has resonated with me the most. Writing his character was a therapeutic experience for me and opened my eyes to problems I'd been repressing deep down for ages.

Him and I are both transgender. Writing the way he feels and views the world has allowed me to cope with my dysphoria in a unique way I think only authors/readers are able to experience.

Being able to see the way Conan reacted to certain scenarios made me realize a lot of flaws I had but hadn't put much thought into before. Whenever he feels vulnerable, he pulls away. He takes his feelings to an extreme. He runs whenever things feel too difficult. He doesn't realize how the impulsive actions he makes based off of his emotions affects the people who love and care about him.

These are all problems I once faced in my personal life, but have since then healed from. Because of this, Running From The Past was akin to therapy for me.

Writing his character didn't even feel like a task to me. My brain knew what story I wanted to tell and just did it - because it was my story. Because I'm Conan.

Coping mechanisms are so important for our mental health in this way. They allow us to destress and become more resilient in tough situations so that we're able to adjust to stressful events while maintaining that emotional well-being.

I encourage all of you to seek out coping mechanisms of your own. Writing is an amazing option, but anything that allows you to unload your stress will do. With all of the chaos going on in the world these past few years, we all deserve a break and some serious self-love right now.

This month, for every story submitted under the #BraveTogether Weekly Writeathon, Wattpad and Maybelline will donate $1, up to a total of $40,000 to four leading mental health focused organizations that provide direct support. For more info and how to join, visit wattpad.com/maybelline.