Metta Mental Insights

  In the struggles of everyday life, mental health often takes a back seat, overshadowed by daily responsibilities and stress. Yet, our thoughts and feelings shape everyday experiences we have, influencing our actions and overall well-being. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a transformative approach that empowers individuals to challenge and change unhelpful habits of thinking and behavior. CBT grants you the tools needed to rewire your mind and turn negative thoughts into positive outcomes, and to regain control over your emotions. Here are some effective CBT techniques for achieving optimal mental wellness: Cognitive Reframing You will be surprised at how many people have negative thoughts about themselves daily. It’s almost natural to react negatively to anything that may be an inconvenience or mistake. Be honest, how often have you said, “I’m an idiot.” or “I’m so stupid.” when you accidentally spilled your drink on yourself? Almost all the time, right?  Cognitive R...

During my journey of self-discovery, I have discovered one major trait about myself that I wish weren’t true. I perform better when I am deeply depressed. Of course, there are different stages of depression, so I’m obviously not productive when I am stuck in bed for hours a day. But when I am somewhat functioning, I realize how much more efficient I am at almost everything. When I was in a good mental space at the beginning of college, I struggled to remember to do my school work and attend classes because I was more interested in pursuing my hobbies than focusing on my education. However, when I was feeling depressed, all I could do was work. It became the only way to get out of bed, and I had no interest in any of my hobbies. It's sad, I know, but it worked. I was able to get through the majority of college due to my efficiency while I was depressed. Depression even helped me achieve certifications in computers that led to two decent jobs. I was offered a promotion in only 4 mont...

18x NBA All-Star, 11x All-NBA First Team, 5x NBA Champion, 2x NBA Finals MVP, 2008 NBA MVP, and 4th in NBA All-Time Points Leaderboard: Kobe Bean Bryant. One of the greatest to ever play the world-renowned sport of basketball. Kobe was one of the toughest competitive athletes on the planet. Coming straight out of Lower Merion High School into the NBA, it didn’t take him much time to blast off into greatness. As a young guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, he didn’t fear anything or anyone including the great Michael Jordan. Kobe consistently maintained a mental edge that elevated him above the entire league for many years. Something he later referred to as the Mamba Mentality. A constant quest to be the best version of one’s self.  -Kobe Bryant   Kobe used this mantra to motivate him to become a basketball legend. The greatest part about it is that he even used it outside of basketball and acquired an Oscar after his NBA career. Mamba Mentality is a lifestyle that aims to ac...

Something a good friend said to me once that still plays in my head constantly is, “You don’t really fit into any one group of guys that I can think of. There is no one else on the planet like you, Kwam.” That was said to be a compliment, which I accepted and appreciated, but at the same time, it made me wonder one thing. Why am I so different from everyone else? Growing up I tried to fit in many different friend groups just to find my “tribe” of people. They all pretty much didn’t fully accept me of course. I enjoy basketball but didn’t really fit in with the other athletes outside of the sport. I loved to produce and perform music, but didn’t quite fit into the “band geek” pose either. I could never find my tribe. That’s not to say I’m completely a loner and I don’t have any friends. I did happen to make three really good friends throughout the years who are still my closest friends to this day as well as dated some interesting women at times, but I still find it difficult to m...

No one enjoys being anxious. To be forced into the “fight or flight” mode over whether or not you should ask the store clerk where you can find the brown sugar is a terrible feeling. I for one have been struggling with anxiety for years now. It can sometimes prevent me from just going around the corner to pick up my takeout order, or even calling one of my old managers to call out of work. It had an insane grip on my life for several years until I got help. In my high school days, I always knew anxiety and panic attacks were real, but I never thought that it would have affected me. I was a bit arrogant and stubborn and used to think you had to have a “weak” mindset to experience anxiety, but boy was I wrong. It didn’t take me long to experience my first panic attack when I first started college. Since then it has been a burden on my life until I found natural ways to maintain it and I’m going to tell you what I do daily to do so. Challenge Your Thoughts. Anxiety always starts in your m...

The unpleasant emotion one feels when they feel that something or someone is a threat, likely to cause pain in some way, or just flat-out dangerous. Many if not all people will experience fear many times in their lives. I dare say that it’s a part of the full human experience. Whether it’s trembling at the idea that you are in trouble, terrified to walk down a scary shortcut at night, or scared to ask out that cute girl in the library, fear will most likely find its way to haunt you no matter how brave or confident you think you are. It’s about how you approach fear, which is the most important part. There are two abbreviations of the word fear that have two completely different meanings, and depending on the person, only one applies to you. Fear could mean “forget everything and run” or “face everything and rise” . Each meaning has a significant impact on one's life, and it depends on the individual whether or not they abide by one or the other. Forget Everything And Run Most peo...

Have you ever wondered why that one specific friend or family member never seems to evolve and transform into a more suitable person for their own life? It can be frustrating to see a loved one refusing to better their life, but there could be an interesting reason for that. See, throughout life, everyone will experience or come across a chance to change. Some embrace it as they are eager to see what it may bring into their lives, while others despise it as it brings them nothing but anxiety and confusion. Those people will do anything to prevent change from ever occurring in their lives. People don’t resist change. They resist being changed!  -Peter Senge There are multiple variations of change of course, but in this instance, I am referring to change that can benefit one's life for the better. Taking that first step into a new journey can later result in a better world for an individual both physically and mentally. Unfortunately, a lot of people are extremely hesitant to do so, ...

I remember the first time I discovered what my personality type is. After taking three separate quizzes, I consistently ended up with the same results—the INFJ. Introvert (I), Intuitive (N), Feeling (F), and Judging (J) are the four main traits of an INFJ. This acronym comes from the Myers-Briggs psychological types assessment for those who are unaware. The Myers-Briggs assessment was created in 1943 by two college graduates to help indicate a person's personality type. Although the Myers-Briggs test is well constructed to help determine one’s personality, it is mostly a theory based on rough tendencies rather than distinct classifications. I find them to be pretty accurate about 90% of the time. The INFJ is the rarest of the 16 personality types making up only 2.3% of the population while the INFJ man only makes up 1.5%. Although we are known as idealists or advocates, unfortunately, not everything about the INFJ is sunshine and roses. INFJs have something I like to call a “curse”...

  Do you often find yourself somewhere all by yourself? Better question, do you like to be alone? For many, loneliness can be seen as a negative thing. It can be a sign of depression, anxiety, a lack of self-confidence, and other undesirable traits. However, for some, being alone can be blissful. It can be peaceful, help you focus, and bring out the best in you. What is the difference between being alone and feeling alone? Being alone isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It all depends on the circumstances of why that person is alone at that given time. I enjoy my alone time. It allows me to be creative, enjoy a good story, and recharge my social battery, as well as self-reflect and understand myself better. If that is the case for you then I would label that as being in solitude. Others, on the other hand, may want to be alone for reasons that aren’t so great. Those constantly sitting at home binge-watching TV shows or playing video games to escape and avoid relationships, are likelier ...

Ignoring the negative stereotypes placed on seeking counseling. Am I the only one who used to think seeing a therapist meant you were crazy? Now I see my counselor twice a month and sometimes more. This is not because I am crazy (not that there is anything wrong with that) but because I, too, like a lot of people my age, struggle with my thoughts and emotions at times. Talking to a counselor has helped me tremendously over the years. It’s funny how much society looks down on mental health and seeking help for it. Many negative stereotypes about seeking mental health professionals exist in the minds of people of all ages. While some of these stereotypes may hold some truth to them, they prevent people in need from seeking therapy due to false beliefs or negative experiences they've heard from others who never really gave it a fair chance. I used to be one of those people who avoided therapy because of these misconceptions. Seeking counseling can be scary for most. I won’t lie and sa...