Meet Olivia Cook

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Olivia Cook. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Olivia below.

Olivia, we are so appreciative of you taking the time to open up about the extremely important, albeit personal, topic of mental health. Can you talk to us about your journey and how you were able to overcome the challenges related to mental issues? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.
This one hits home for me because I’ve battled with my mental health for years. I know it’s something many people battle with. Each time the battle is different. There are factors that make each situation unique. Certain things that have put me on a bad mental track. There have definitely been days I battled with suicidal ideation. I used to turn to alcohol or weed to numb the pain I was feeling. I used to go through a cycle of isolation and then people pleasing because I felt bad about “neglecting” people in my life. I used to do a lot of impulse shopping.

I am writing this now as a person who has done an immense amount of personal development and shadow work. Shadow work is a form of psychotherapy that involves exploring the aspects of the self that a person hides, ignores, or dislikes. I have found more healthy ways of combatting my mental health.

There are certain things that are a must for my mental health to stay at peak performance,
1. Positive self talk.
2. Morning Routine
3. Taking my vitamins – (women’s multi-vitamin, vitamin D and magnesium)
4. Sunlight and nature
5. Exercising
6. Nutrition
7. Healthy relationships
8. Plenty of sleep
9. Weekly resets – (taking time to relax, recharge and plan for the week ahead.)

With that being said there are a few things I keep in place when adversity strikes and I haven’t been doing the things I listed above.

1. I increase my time with God.
2. I practice self-care. This includes breath-work, meditation, journaling. I allow myself feel my feelings and release them in a healthy way.
3, I change my perspective and start with slow gratitude.
4. I remind myself that I am not alone and this is only temporary.
5. I get active.
6. I talk to someone that I trust and share with them the honesty of what I’m going through.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
One of my favorite and most rewarding ventures has been my podcast, The Empowered Woman: Badass & Unfiltered. In the almost 3 years since I started recording, I’ve interviewed over 100 amazing women and men who are making a difference in the world.

I wanted to create a podcast that mattered, something that would add value to the world. There is so much content out there that is just noise. I wanted to showcase real people doing amazing things, women who are breaking barriers and creating change.

One of my favorite guests is a woman who is helping to end homelessness in Tampa, Florida.

One is helping women leave abusive partners.

Another guest is a woman who has helped over 150 women who fled Ukraine find jobs and places to live. She is an entrepreneur with business connections all over the world. We spoke about the power of networking and what it really means.

I could go on and on about the amazing people I have met on this podcast, but I encourage you to listen or watch for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1. My learners mindset. I have grown show much because I have allowed other people to share their experiences with me. This has helped me in immeasurable ways.

2. Practicing reflection and correction.

3. Getting a little better every day and only competing with myself. I have a strong work ethic and a lot of resilience.

Tips – There are people that want to help you and see you win, surround yourself with those kind of people. Invest in yourself and your products/ services. You get what you pay for. Don’t be cheap with yourself, your brand or anything you’re apart of.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
I take a moment and do breathing techniques. If I am able to I go for a walk. I move my body. If I am mad I scream in a pillow. I do what I can to positively release my emotions. I try to calm myself down first and then come up with solutions. Sometimes I just take a nap. I try my hardest not to make decisions when I am in a state of fear or overwhelm.

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