Meet Britney J Parks

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Britney J Parks. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Britney J, we are so deeply grateful to you for opening up about your journey with mental health in the hops that it can help someone who might be going through something similar. Can you talk to us about your mental health journey and how you overcame or persisted despite any 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.

Living with Major Depressive Disorder, Narcolepsy, and ADHD has been one of the most challenging experiences of my life. Each day is a constant battle to maintain stability and manage the symptoms of these conditions. On top of these daily struggles, I have faced numerous deeply traumatic occurrences that have made my journey even more arduous.

A few years ago, I experienced a period that brought me to my lowest point. Within the span of a month, I lost my favorite job in a city that I adored, my long-term partner left me while I was out of town, and I had to move back home with my parents. The speed at which these events occurred made it feel like a blur—one that sent me into the deepest and darkest depression of my life. This rock-bottom phase lasted for the better part of a year, where I felt utterly stuck and alone in my suffering.

Amidst this emotional turmoil, the silver lining began to emerge. I realized that my living environment was not conducive to my recovery. Everything in my space was drab and grey, which only added to my depressive state. This prompted me to delve into research about color therapy and its benefits for mental health. I learned that colors could significantly affect moods and emotions, so I decided to transform my living space. I started incorporating vibrant hues, lighting, and decor items into my home. The change in my environment had a monumental impact on my mood and outlook. This small but significant step towards improving my surroundings proved to be a turning point in my recovery.

The positive effects of color therapy sparked my creativity and led me to delve deeper into home decor and crafting, something I had always loved but in what seemed like a lifetime ago. I found solace in activities like candle making and creating home decor items out of organic mineral stone. These hobbies provided a therapeutic outlet, keeping my mind engaged and my hands busy.

Seeing the tangible results of my efforts was incredibly rewarding and gave me a sense of accomplishment. Before long, I decided to turn this newfound passion into a business. As I was still out of work, I founded atmosphaera, a small business centered around the concept of color therapy and its benefits. The aim was to help others struggling with depression and anxiety by offering products designed to improve their living spaces and, consequently, their mental health.

Today, atmosphaera is not just a business; it is a testament to overcoming adversity. The positive feedback from clients who have found comfort and improved mental health through our products has been the most rewarding aspect of this journey. This venture has provided me with a renewed sense of purpose and has significantly contributed to my mental health recovery. Each day, I am driven by a mission to help others find their own silver linings. My journey with mental health challenges will always continue, but the tools and purpose I’ve gained throughout that experience have made it far more manageable.

Reflecting on my journey, I realize the immense strength and persistence required to overcome mental health challenges. There were many times when I wanted an out, of course. There were many times where my future was evaporating right in front of my face. However, while the silver linings often seem hidden, they can offer profound insights and new directions when discovered. Finding purpose through color therapy, crafting, and eventually additionally aromatherapy, then launching atmosphaera has been my salvation. These experiences have taught me the importance of resilience, adaptability, and the healing power of creativity. If someone were to ask me for a simple one-word answer to this sort of question, I would say, “creativity”.

Despite the ongoing challenges posed by my mental health issues, I remain committed to using my journey to inspire and support others facing similar struggles. I am grateful for the silver lining that continues to guide me towards a brighter and more fulfilling future.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

My story is quite complicated from birth. I was put up for adoption by my biological mother who was only 16 at the time she conceived me, a closed adoption which I would later have to discover everything about all on my own. I was adopted into an incredible family that I love dearly, and whom has supported me throughout all my troubles and my biggest dreams. Oh, I’ve had a lot of them, both of them!

Growing up I was kind of a loner, not exactly by choice. We lived way out in what I call “the middle of nowhere” Oklahoma and I passed the time by being heavily invested in video games. When I say heavily, I mean *heavily* as becoming a part of the video game industry were to become my biggest dream and goal in life. I didn’t get along with the girls at school, boys didn’t care for me much either, but I really didn’t care because I had big city California dreams and everyone knew it. I made sure they did, too.

I didn’t end up graduating for the bullying and my depression/ADHD cocktail. AT the time I was just starting to learn about mental health and had made my first psychiatrist appointment at 18 or 19. It was there that I was finally and officially diagnosed with the two, and prescribed proper medication. I couldn’t believe how well it worked. I never did well with my grades in school either because of ADHD and depression, so if you would have told me back then that I were to become a writer – I would have laughed in your face. I was always gifted with writing, even when I couldn’t or didn’t try, but being on medication that helped me get out of bed each day, focus on my work and priorities helped me see that I could actually achieve those big dreams of mine.

So I worked on my writing skills a lot, I would write songs to sing and scripts for video games that I one day hoped to pitch to my favorite game designer. Sometime within this period, the opportunity to write for a video game review website literally landed in my lap. As if it fell from the sky and was meant just for me – I can’t even describe the surreal way in which it happened. A guy I met outside at the afterparty of a club was chatting with me and knew a guy who knew a guy. Complete and totally angelic stranger, but he hooked me up with his guy and the rest is history.

I wrote for that website for a handful of years and got industry experience by attending conventions across the country reviewing game developers and gaming personalities. I met my ex-fiance somewhere in-between all those years, as he was the head of a very huge and popular gaming corporations media department. I worked very hard to get where I was at and was pretty well-known, or so I thought, but his reputation far exceeded mine and before long, after many introductions and the opportunities that spawned off of them, I found myself in California working for the company I was in a dream-state telling everyone I knew back home that I would work for when I was younger. I had a great job hosting video game news on a very large platform and from the outside, everything looked like it was going my way and working out for me.

Unfortunately that was wrong. Behind the scenes my ex-fiance was extremely abusive, mentally, physically and emotionally. I lived in turmoil through most of what would’ve been my happiest moments career wise. Eventually we split after he tried to take my life.

I couldn’t exactly bring myself to even play video games anymore, being such a part of that world suffering so much for so long while no one could help me, because they didn’t know. I was too brainwashed and emotionally invested to confess it, too. Until one day, I just wasn’t. I thank God for that day, it’s why I’m still here writing this to you today.

I had an opportunity to re-start that video game show and do it on my own, but after being so traumatized during the last time, I just couldn’t. That was pretty much the end of my career in the video game industry. It still gets to me emotionally to this day, because I see my young self and how much she wanted exactly what I ended up doing. Fate, as they call it.

However, I was wrong about my fate. My fate lies within a different trauma, funny how that works right? You think you’re on the right track but have to experience the bad, learn from the bad, and then the good comes out of it with one of your life lessons. My story had only just begun! I did go back to California for a few years to live in my favorite city, San Francisco. Soul-searching and wanting better work opportunities. I hate to say “unfortauntely” again but right as I had left my ex-fiance and got my life together ready for another ride, COVID-19 hit. I literally moved to SF the week lockdowns started, but that’s a different story. That is my story, though.

I am where I am today, not by choice but due to fate. I’m not mad about it at all, as I previously told you how I got here in the last question and how I’m one very happy lady working on atmosphaera day to day and making great progress building it up from nothing. What I find most special about my job and where I’m at now is the opportunity to help others. I never saw myself as the philanthropist type, but you go through enough BS in life yourself and you start having a newfound sense of compassion for anyone still in their own type of darkness or dark situation. I want to help them out of it like no one could help me.

I do have a lot of plans for atmosphaera in that sense, once I obtain better funding I plan on donating to a few mental health associations regularly and possibly volunteering as a mentor of some sort for my communities youth in places just like I have been. I want my business and brand to a safe-space for all. It’s more than just colors and candles, I plan to demonstrate this to those in need in a certain way that plays off my biggest strength and asset: my perseverance.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Creativity, Perseverance and Compassion. For those who are early in their mental health journey, developing creativity, perseverance, and compassion can be truly so transformative in navigating their toughest challenges and fostering overall well-being, to be able to overcome those challenges in the first place. You can’t overcome anything if you’re still in the dark, trust me I’ve tried. I have a few pieces of advice or ideas that I readily tell anyone, but the first one is make sure you are well. You’re not training for a marathon here, but you do need to have your strength. Drink plenty of water, get good sleep and eat healthily. That is one very simple trifecta of goodness that you could do for your body to at least get your eyes open to the world around you and/or your reality.

Create a safe space. Dedicate a space in your home where you feel comfortable expressing yourself freely. Surround it with things that inspire you.

Build a support system. Surround yourself with friends, family, or support groups who encourage and believe in you. It’s essential to have a network to lean on during tough times. The plot twist here is that you have to be completely honest with them if you want them to be able to truly help you.

Practice self-compassion. Treat yourself with the same kindness and understanding that you would offer to a friend. Acknowledge your efforts and struggles without judgment.

Use creativity as therapy: Understand that creative activities can be therapeutic. They offer a way to express emotions and thoughts that may be difficult to articulate otherwise.

Set Small, Achievable Goals: Break down your larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks. Celebrate each small victory to build momentum and motivation. At one point in my life, showering was my biggest goal for the day. You got this.

Volunteer or Help Others: Sometimes, helping others who are facing similar challenges can be incredibly rewarding and can foster a sense of connection and empathy. That’s my current method of therapy, and I can assure you – it works.

Remember, the journey to mental wellness is deeply personal and unique to each individual. Creativity, perseverance, and compassion are like muscles; they strengthen with use and practice. Stay committed to your growth, be gentle with yourself, and trust the process.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

When I feel overwhelmed, I employ a variety of strategies to help manage my stress and regain a sense of control. Here are some techniques and advice that have been particularly effective for me.

5-4-3-2-1 Technique: This mindfulness exercise involves identifying five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. This helps bring your focus back to the present moment. This is actually what my best friend taught to me for the panic attacks I used to have. I’ve found that it works with being overwhelmed because that in itself is somewhat of a panic state.

Make a List: Writing down everything that’s causing you stress can help clear your mind and prioritize tasks. Break down larger tasks into smaller, actionable steps. I make a “task vomit” list. It’s not as gross as it sounds! My “task vomit” lists help me just get it allllll out on paper, every little thing that pops into my head, which is a lot thanks to the ADHD. Then after I’m done “vomiting”, I go back and prioritize and organize my list. Works like a charm.

Engage in Activities You Enjoy: Dedicating time to hobbies and activities that bring you joy can be a great way to relieve stress. I’m not gonna lie, sometimes I skip over my most important objectives for the day, saving them for after I do the fun ones. Or I take a break and do the fun ones then return to my list.

It’s normal to feel overwhelmed at times. Sometimes you might feel that way all the time. These methods will help. The key is to find what works best for you and to be proactive in managing your stress. Be kind to yourself and recognize that it’s okay to seek help when you need it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://atmosphaera.co
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/atmosphaeraaa
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/atmosphaeraaa
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/britneyjparks
• Other: My blog on mental health, sustainability, home decor, color therapy and much. much more:

  https://www.atmosphaera.co/blogs/the-atmosphere

Image Credits

Britney J. Parks or atmosphaera