We recently connected with Jennifer Honeycutt and have shared our conversation below.
Jennifer, 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.
Most of my adult career- I worked in a profession that had a high rate of suicide and mental health issues. I also grew up enduring a lot of loss and pain directly correlated to mental health disorders so being an advocate for mental health has been at the forefront of my life. After developing PPD with my daughter, I realized how fragile my own mental health really was. I have always been an empath but carrying the weight of other peoples’ emotions and issues all of a sudden felt impossible, which in turn made me feel useless. It took time for me to understand that it was not just the “baby blues” and that I needed to do something in order to get better. Seeing firsthand what not caring for your mind can do to ones self helped me overcome any fear of seeking out help.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’ve learned that being vulnerable has helped my mental state so I’ve taken that to social media to share my little part of the this world. During PPD, I turned to the internet to find help and guidance and found an amazing community of parents struggling as well. All this has pushed me to launch a safe place for people who may have been feeling the same way or are feeling alone in any way to join, connect, stay and feel heard. Discovering that there others relating to what I was feeling helped me so much that I want to be that for people as well. As my pages and network grow, I continue to amazingly make strong connections with people all over the world.
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?
Compassion, empathy and staying true to yourself are the reasons I have been successful in anything I do in life. Whether it be running a company, raising our child, or making connections online… the times I have be less than stellar are when I deviated away from these things.
What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?
Setting my own expectations up for success is a way I practice overcoming any false senses of failure. I know I’m not going to be a Pinterest Mom, I know I don’t enjoy seeing plants die, I know I like McDonalds way too much to give up Fast Food… so I set realistic expectations of how and who I am going to be. I focus on my strengths as a Mom and Wife and lean on them. That’s not to say it’s not great to try new things and to improve in life, but for me- that’s for another era.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @thehoneybutts
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKdjJgwhOuV8xAViYlHlUlw
