Perspectives in Mental Health Week 3 - Faith
It took me a while to sit down and write this week’s article. This is a little ironic because when I was sketching out the topics for this series, I was most excited for this week. If you know me at all you probably have heard me say this statement a billion times — but as someone who was not born or raised religious, I find that I have a really special relationship with my faith. I’m Christian and I love that I am.
What gave me the push and confidence to write this article was a conversation with a close friend of mine named Kate. Kate is spectacular at asking questions. And when I talk with her I know that I am “seen” (she’d laugh at how cheesy that is) but she’ll ask questions like no other — she gets to the core of one’s character. And after making some gingerbread houses and drinking cups of peppermint lattes, we began talking about our faith. Personally, my faith plays a huge role in my mental health journey. Despite not having gone into detail about my personal life and connection with mental health, all you really have to know is that my faith became the thing that helped me heal from everything that I experienced in the past.
This past Monday marked the one-year anniversary of my baptism. So, this whole journey of “coming to God” is relatively new to me. I find myself still critiquing the way I live my life to be in accordance with what I believe. And I think that is where faith and mental health come hand in hand. I want to recognize the reality of religious trauma and deeply hope that this article doesn’t come off as “forceful” in any way. I just want to be honest about what helps my personal mental health. In my research, I talk to people from all over about their mental health. And it’s only fair of me to ask that question if I am able to answer it myself. In the conversations I have had, not surprisingly, each person has had different answers to what helps their mental health. They all view it differently. And that’s why I have been so adamant about not providing a solution. I think we are so quick to say that XYZ is the “solution” toward “fixing” mental health. And personally, I don’t believe that is the best way to go about things.
We have much to learn from those around us. In this, I have come to sketch out some conclusions in my research. Mental Health is a matter of relationships. Mental Well-being is made up of the relationship we have with ourselves, with others, and with our passions. If we have a good relationship with ourselves but a poor relationship with others or with our passions, we won’t feel satisfied or content. If we have a good relationship with our passions but a poor relationship with others and ourselves, we won’t feel fulfilled with our lives. And obviously, there are levels and nuisances to this framework but these three pillars are often what people talk about when speaking about mental health.
Each pillar requires a level of work, it fluctuates with time and circumstance and can be affected by prior experiences. And in the midst of all of this people often turn towards something that gives them hope to pursue better and healthier relationships. And therefore, while religion and spirituality are arguably good, one can still struggle in the midst of their goodness. Food is good, water is good, enjoyment is good, the community is good, education is good, faith and religion are good, but just like anything in the world, while something may be inherently “good”, it can be used by people to create damage. It is not to say the object itself is bad; but the execution of how it is experienced, equipped, or used can make it harmful. And so it’s good to make that distinction early on. You will struggle with the relationships you have even in the midst of something good because that is just part of the human experience we call life.
And so there is something to say about how mental health is still relevant and real in the spheres of religion/spirituality. While it can be stigmatized in circles, mental health undeniably exists. Our solutions or avenues of conversation may differ depending on our culture, religion, or background, but ultimately health is health and it exists no matter what.
All of this is to say: you may have faith, and you may struggle with it, but that does not eliminate its legitimacy. After all, that is part of the “journey”.
My life has grown exponentially better because of the people in my life — Kate is a reminder of that. Through faith, I have learned that all the good, the bad, and the things in-between, rest in a pool of joy. I have found great joy in all the trials faced. And have found great gratitude in all the relationships I have!
Perspectives in Mental Health: Week 2 - Education
When I sent out the question form for this series, Mental Health Education was one of the largest requests. This is exciting to me because I don’t see mental health education as a strictly policy-based matter. To me, education around mental health can happen through policies, observations, and individual accountability — which I don’t find extremely radical to say.
Policy and programs are extremely important in progressing mental health education broadly. I recently spoke on a panel for LookUp Live’s annual summit, and one of the questions that were asked was “if you could pass any legislation what would you pass?” My response was to make basic mental health education a requirement in schools, even a simple one-semester psychology course could be implemented in schools. High schools across the United States require at least one course on basic physical health. But I’m a firm believer that having a basic understanding of how the mind works are beneficial. Knowing how our thoughts, habits, and emotions form helps us understand ourselves and others. When I was in high school, I took a one-semester course on psychology. This class barely scratched the surface of the vast field of psychology. However, it positively affected my relationships and taught me how to be a better student by teaching me better habits. It’s a huge misconception to think that mental health education is limited to mental illnesses. While I think learning about common disorders and experiences is important, I think mental health education can be a lot simpler than that. Mental health education should not be centered solely on illness. Rather, it should teach young people healthy coping and learning strategies. While also giving insight into how the mind works. I know many health courses cover some mental health topics briefly, but I think a simple course on basic psychology goes far in helping someone understand themselves and others.
However, I don’t think creating new policies is the only way to improve mental health education; especially in the states. The last two pathways that I mentioned work hand in hand. If an individual takes accountability for understanding their own mind, others can observe this self-improvement and apply the same or similar habits to themselves. Of course, not everyone has the privilege or opportunity to teach themselves “healthy habits”. And of course, mental health is more than “health habits”. But education is should not be constrained to the walls of a school or classroom. Instead, we can learn from others around us. Early in my childhood, I faced my fair share of adversity. But the habits, mindsets, and lessons that I learned from my peers still affect me greatly today. Sometimes education rests on recognizing the areas in which another excels.
The sunset from their engagement :,)
This past weekend two of my greatest friends got engaged. At their engagement party, I cried tears of joy, not just because of their engagement but because of who they are as individuals. I met these two in my freshman year of university and without them, I strongly believe that my approach to school and work would be drastically different (and I don’t mean for the better). They’re both seniors this year and everyone in our community looks up to them for their passion, mindsets, and faith. I realize I inherited so many of their habits into my daily routine. From how I talk and lead others, to how I approach my research, they have deeply inspired the way I want to live my life. And their character is not something you can learn in school. It’s the type of education that you get from watching two people love each other, others, and themselves.
Therefore I encourage you to learn and to value education outside of the “academic” environment. Policies that support and implement Mental Health Education will always be something I support. And I firmly believe we should work toward this type of policy more. Because if we can help people understand themselves, then we have a greater opportunity to understand others too. Mental Health Education teaches us how to negotiate, have conversations, and understand trauma and experiences. It teaches us how to cope with stress and anxiety. It teaches us habits that help us in school, work, and in our communities. Mental health education is a door toward empathy.
That being said, alongside mental health policy, we cannot ignore our individual responsibility to learn. The word “education” comes from the Latin words “educare” and “educere” meaning “to train” and “to lead” respectively. Education is the act of training yourself about a certain subject or thing and then leading a life acting on it. Education is something that happens through academics and policies but it is also something that happens within us. An easy way to do this is by recognizing the strengths that others have, and then realizing there is so much we can learn from others (and there is so much about you that others can learn from too).
I’ve learned to look at the Latin roots of common words from the couple that got engaged over this weekend. I can confidently say that I have learned much from that alone.
So congratulations to you two :) you know who you are!
Much Love, Always!
Here are some mental health resources that could expand your knowledge of mental health!
NIMH Digital Resources on specific topics
Some of my favorite videos about Mental Health related topics
Perspectives in Mental Health: Week 1 - Research
Last week, I took to Instagram and consulted those in my network about whether or not I should do another series of articles around mental health. I’ve always been cautious about how much I share online, however, the beauty of being young in the field is that we get to share a fresh outlook on this global topic.
Similar to the five-week series that I did this past summer, every Monday, for the next ten weeks (until the end of the year), I will be coming out with a series of articles and posts addressing different topics in mental health. All of these topics were things that people requested — and for this first week, I’ll be sharing a brief overview of the research I do. I’ve always introduced myself as a mental health researcher and yet have shared details about what that entails. I’ll share a little about what I do to set up the conversations that will happen in the next ten weeks.
I began working in research back in October 2020 when I spoke on a global panel with the ex-Chief of Health of UNICEF, Dr. Stefan Peterson. On this panel, other young leaders and I talked about the state of adolescent mental health with Dr. Peterson. It was exciting to have a conversation with individuals from different cultures, perspectives, and experiences.
At the end of that call, I felt inspired to replicate the conversation with other young people across the world. As someone that comes from a mixed-cultural family, I knew the importance of sharing stories and perspectives. I spent the rest of 2020 organizing a network of people to interview, detailed an outline, and came up with the research question. In the brief conversation I had with the other youth leaders in that call, it hit me that we all talk about mental health differently across the world. In 2021, I consulted some professionals that I worked with and talked to old teachers, mentors, and friends. I followed up with Dr. Stefan Peterson who encouraged me to pursue youth voices. And lastly, I reached out to the film director Rick Stevenson asking him how to capture stories. He told me that the key was to listen - not to help.
That became the catalyst for how I approached the research. In the spring of 2021, I began conducting interviews with some young people in my network. In June I was awarded the mPower Award from Mental Health America with a nomination from citiesRISE.
citiesRISE assisted with my initial outreach through their extensive network of individuals in the mental health field. In my first set of interviews, I reached individuals from five different countries. By August 2021, Dr. Peterson offered me a position as a research assistant for a new study that was being conducted by The Karolinska Institute, Johns Hopkins University, and other institutions on “The Political Economy of Adolescent Mental Health”. In October of 2021, Mental Health America invited me to speak on a panel hosted by Youtube, this event got me connected with more individuals from five new countries. By the end of 2021, I interviewed individuals from at least 10 countries, while assisting the study through The Karolinska Institute. At the beginning of 2022, I began working with citiesRISE on their extensive research in the Seattle, Washington, and Sacramento, California areas.
Actually, as we speak, representatives from The Political Economy of Adolescent Mental Health research project are in Bogota, Columbia, for The 7th Global Symposium on Health Systems Research presenting preliminary findings and sharing quotes from some of the young people that we were able to hear from.
And as I continue all these research projects, I have learned that global mental health is a fragmented field of NGOs, institutions, and individuals that claim to have “solutions” to the “problem” that is mental health. Yet in all the conversations that I have had, people have talked about two things: the hope they have for the future, and the need to listen. From stories about the need for policies in Japan to support counselors to webinars on mental health education in Nigeria to funding and programs in Malaysia, I can promise you that work is being done. I can confidently say that there are countries carving the path toward mental health. Countries like India and Kenya are pushing for mental health conversations to occur in their cities, and of course, countries like The United States and the U.K. are growing the field more and more.
I often get asked, “what are you going to do with all these interviews?” And I used to think I was going to find the framework for a great solution. But I’m realizing that the solution to many of our world issues rests in the stories of the people from each of these countries. No single policy, program, nor solution will be perfect in every country or even every person. Mental health is talked about differently across the world. While some talk about it strictly in policy, others are investing in wellness, and some see it as a spiritual matter. Culture affects our understanding of mental health too. Sometimes, people see the lack of involvement in one’s culture as the core reason why their mental health is low, some see their culture’s perspective as a hindrance, and some people’s culture is their crutch toward good mental health.
I’ve shared a few interviews online as a podcast so that others can listen in. Frankly, I have been so caught up in everything that I haven’t had the time to post them - but hopefully, this helps me do that! In the future, I hope to write up detailed conclusions and reflections about each interview. And through the research I do independently, I can assist larger projects around youth mental health. For example, I’m co-leading the creation of The Global Youth Council on Mental Health with citiesRISE so that we can have a more unified field in mental health.
And while this is more of a “meta” conclusion that I have drawn out so far, I have realized that no large-scale “solution” will work for mental health. What this world requires is the inner change of each and every individual. I’m an advocate for the people - not for a program or policy. If our conversations with the people we interact with can be rooted in genuine interest and listening then I truly believe that our approach toward mental health will look different. This is not to say we should stop working towards better policies and programs - however, I do believe that alongside the global push for change, we should begin pushing ourselves (and those close to us) towards an inner change.
While it is cliché, true change comes from the heart. And I have found myself extremely moved and inspired by the unseen work that is being done by individuals across the world. From community change to global campaigns, someone from each country is beginning to see mental health as an important factor in life. And if I have learned anything from my research thus far, it is that change is coming, and change is here. We simply must take the step forward to pursue it.
World Mental Health Day 2022
On this World Mental Health Day, I wanted to take the time to reflect on what mental health means. If you know me personally you’d know that looking at the definitions of common words is one of my favorite things to do. Sometimes we simply need a refresher on our foundations. But that raises the question: is there a solid foundation of what mental health is? And if you follow my work at all, you know that in my opinion, there won’t ever be a perfect definition. Something like mental health is so personal - we define it based on our experiences, backgrounds, cultures, etc. And while there are a billion things and people that can say what mental health should be, I don’t think I can give you a certain answer.
Two years ago on this day, I spoke on a panel with the ex-Chief of Health of UNICEF (Dr. Stefan Peterson) and a bunch of other young leaders in mental health. We spoke about the state of global mental health and asked Dr. Peterson questions we had regarding it. As someone who comes from a mixed cultural background, this meant so much to me. Speaking about mental health is a difficult conversation to have one on one. And it’s even harder to have between culture and perspectives. However, the exciting thing about this panel was that despite the language barrier and overall life differences, we all wanted to be there to discuss the state of (youth) mental health. With the courtesy of citiesRISE, youth leaders from Bogota, Columbia, Seattle, WA, USA, Sacramento, CA, USA, Nairobi, Kenya, and Chennai, India, we all came together online to have a shared conversation.
That was the catalyst for the research I have been working on for the past two years. I’ve been on the hunt to understand how people across the world define mental health. There have obviously been overlaps in how people talk and define it -- and on days like today the window for reflection is offered once more.
According to the definition that The World Health Organization provides (which has recently been updated in June of 2022), “Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community. It is an integral component of health and well-being that underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships and shape the world we live in”
Initially, upon first glance, that definition felt convoluted for a basic definition. And so I talked to Dr. Shekhar Saxena - one of the people who helped make the first definition back in 2001. Dr. Saxena is known widely in and out of the public health realm. Currently, he is a professor at Harvard but has spent a multitude of years at the WHO where he served as the Director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse.
In our discussion, I brought up the definition. He told me that “I don’t think people need to fit into the WHO definition, people need to take that as a framework and then see how it makes sense and gives meaning to what they feel, and in some cases that will be different but that’s okay -- so that’s exactly why I say that’s a public health definition it is not a definition of individuals mental health which one needs to think more about”
An example I used for a webinar I hosted with Human Kinetics last month
The moment he said that I realized that Mental Health is a framework of relationships. Our mental health is built on the quality of the relationships we have - our relationship with what we do (school, work, etc), our relationship with our backgrounds, culture, and religions, and our relationships with others and ourselves - these are all things that build the framework of the quality of our mental health.
Though of course; that is my personal understanding of mental health. However, I highly recommend you take the time to reflect on the relationships you have with the people and things in your life. The relationship we have with our culture, passions, and ourselves will influence the way we approach and view life. The quality (and effort to improve) of these relationships impact our mindsets. Our mindsets influence our ability to contribute to society. And ultimately all of these things build up to what our mental health is: a framework and network of relationships. While illness is another conversation - our circumstances and quality of life all fall into these categories. The point of all of this however is for you to reflect on what mental health means to you. How would you define mental health?
This World Mental Health Day, I’m helping raise money for the Rare Impact Fund with Rare Beauty from Selena Gomez, please consider donating! asked the Rare Beauty Ambassadors and Sam Garry (2022 MHA mPower Award Recipient) “what mental health/world mental health day means” to them. Here are their responses for inspiration :) Their Instagram handles are provided below!
“World mental health day is a reminder that mental health is health. from individual actions to systemic policy ones, world mental health day must be globally recognized for what it is: an initiative and propellant for promoting mental health equality!” Adia Fadaei - @adiafadaei
To me, World Mental Health Day is an opportunity to cultivate a safe, validating, and open conversation around mental health with those I love! Meera Varma - @meeravarma
Mental health means putting myself first and trusting that I know what is best for me in the moment no matter how others respond. It’s being able to advocate for myself and maintain habits/be around others that help me consistently feel my best. It’s also feeling my emotions on the hard days, showing myself compassion, and not letting a hard day, week, or month define me. Katie Gorton - @katiegorton
you are seen. you are important. you are strong. and, you are not alone. Catherine Delgado - @cath.delgado
To me world mental health serves as a day for me to celebrate my mental/emotional growth over the past year. I think for everyone this day is a reminder that any personal growth, big or small, is worth recognizing. And for people that lack the means to access mental health education and support, this is our reminder to expand our resources to them so that they too can commemorate their growth on this day every year forward. Arthy Suresh - @arthysuresh
Mental Health is health and should be treated as urgently, as physical health. Davida Padi - @hellodavip
Mental health enables each and every one of us to empower ourselves and those around us. mental health is not and should not be a discriminant but instead a powerfully unifying force. Celeste Penney - @celestekrp
I believe it’s critical to join together and look at people’s differences as strengths that unify us as humans rather than things that set us apart from each other. After all, you never know what invisible battles someone may be fighting, so it’s important to show your support by promoting inclusivity & amplifying empathy across the community at large. Being a source of light, hope, & positivity in someone’s life and “killing 'em’ with kindness”… that’s what’s going to change the world for the better, for everyone, everywhere! So, go out there & make every day Mental Health Day! Shreyaa Venkat - @joinnest
For me, world mental health day is twofold. For one, it’s a celebration of the incredible work we, as a community, have done to empower individuals across the globe to support their own mental well-being. With that said, world mental health day is also a sobering reminder of the work that we have yet to do. While our progress so far has been significant, we must continue to use our collective voice to support those in darkness. Sam Gerry - @samvgerry
The people along the way: Week 5 - My older brother
It’s a bit saddening to think that this is the end to this mini-series, I’ve truly loved sharing the stories of the people who have impacted my life. And I deeply appreciate every person that took the time to read these articles. It shouldn’t be a surprise that this last article will focus on my older brother.
I have mentioned my brother a handful of times in the five years that I have done my work. I’ve always mentioned him as my “why” for the mental health work I do. When I doubt my work and the things I do, I think of my brother and me as kids, and I am reminded of the importance.
My brother and I circa Dec 2001
There are thousands of lessons and stories I could share about my brother. Like how he taught me how to ride a bike or tie a shoe. I could talk about the times he stayed up helping me with my homework only to neglect his own, or how he would always stay after track practice with me teaching me better techniques. Not only is my brother my role model, but he is also my best friend. I have never met anyone more selfless, humble, loving, and kindhearted than my brother. I strive to be even an ounce of the person he is.
I could also talk about all the challenges my brother and I faced growing up. I could talk about the hurt or the pain that we felt in our own lives throughout our childhood. But I find that narrative to be a great disservice to the person that he is today.
Today, we’re driving a few hours west to the Olympic Mountains on a road trip with his wife, her sister, and his best friend. Today, my brother works a job he loves, making more money than he could’ve imagined as a kid. Today, my brother is happily married to an amazing woman that I am blessed to call a sister-in-law. At the start of this mini-series, he was in France with his wife visiting her family. I’ll stand by my statement that the happiest day of my life was when he got married. Truthfully nothing makes me more emotional than watching him be surrounded by people that love him and cherish who he is and what he brings into the world. My brother is the wisest most caring soul I know. But out of every lesson, every story, and every moment, one thing about him sticks out above the rest: he worked for a peaceful life.
He wanted to build a life full of peace. Traveling, loving work, being married, and having such great friends are things we couldn’t fathom as children. My brother never cared to scream his story off a rooftop, and while many can say that is privileged and selfish, he chose to stay in the back and sacrifice the little he had to ensure that I could live a life where I could follow my dreams, passions, and virtues. And while clearly, it has turned out great for the two of us so far, my brother’s humility, care, and love for me, and others, at such a young age is something I won’t ever take for granted.
In my experience, a lot of us focus on the physical things in this world. We care about how we’re perceived, what we post, what we say, we care about the credits and classes we take, we get upset about the small things, and only strive for big things, we throw around words as if they have no depth of meaning, we crave our own self-image - we want success. Even in the non-profit realm, there is always competition to have the best organization, to have the best solution, to have the best team, or the best approach to mental health. Mental health can be an uniter, and yet sometimes we use it to be a divide. In our effort to destigmatize mental health, we stigmatize it further.
In our desire to do good, we begin to believe that our way to do good is the only way to do good.
Truth is, while I could try and write a series of all the things I overcame or accomplished, I’d be neglecting a large portion of what I have actually learned. There are a handful of things I could reflect on; the challenges of being an activist ever since 15 years old, the difficulties of going to a university that I don’t feel academically qualified to be at, the hardship of being a mental health advocate without throwing my family under the bus, how hard it is to hear heartbreaking stories within research, the effects of my own culture in my work, being religious in mental health, etc. These things however can be summarized in the lessons that people have taught me along the way. The outcome of all these stories rests in the people I have spoken to, the stories I have heard, and the lives of countless individuals. While it may be exciting to talk about what I have done, I want to try and highlight what others are doing. I’m human and won’t ever be able to do this perfectly. I’m human and I am bound to make many mistakes that will affect others.
I often will look at my brother and see him shine with humility. He didn’t sit aside in silence, he chose to help me build my own foundation so that I may find my voice to speak. I wish I could tell his story, but if that is not his wish, then who am I to stop him? All he ever wished for was a happier life. When I was younger I thought that you had to be great to be worthy. What I realized along the way is that you are already worthy of being great. And perhaps the greatest thing we can do is take the time to reflect on the people who have impacted our lives along the way.
When we come into conversations with the intent to teach instead of listening, we already lost the chance to make a connection. When we think that our way is the best way and the only way, we limit the chance to connect, learn and hear from others. When we view mental health as a topic in need of “solutions”, we limit it to only being a problem. I research how mental health is defined across cultures and backgrounds, and in the many conversations I have had, I have learned that “mental health is a journey”, it is “a mindset, my [your] ability to grow”, it is “the opportunity to see hope”, it is “an inner recognition of the self, so that you may help others too”. (Quotes of interviews I have conducted).
Inner change is not something to push aside. My dream has always started with my brother. And it has grown to exist through the many individuals I have interacted with in my life - hence this entire mini-series. We cannot jump to global change without intentional conversation and connection with individuals from our own families, circles, and communities. We cannot do these things if we believe that our thoughts are the only truth. And we cannot be willing to listen to others if we do not listen to ourselves. Change starts within you, from the moment you choose to reflect, accept and grow, change will occur - not just in you but in the people around you. Then, in consequence, the people around them. Acceptance starts with the self and then becomes a chain reaction in others.
My brother took the time to see what mattered to him, he worked hard, and carried the best mindset he could through his mental health struggles, he found his own family in the people around him. He worked hard for the life he could barely dream of having. And he did all of this while loving and supporting me and many others.
This is not to say he hasn’t struggled; we both have. But I hope my brother’s perspective on life is clear: it is not about the big problems or big goals. Our perspective around life changes within us, and it is not dependent on how well we do things. To strive for inner change produces external change. Remember, you don’t need to find your voice but must recognize it has always been within you.
When we listen to the people and world around us, we allow unity and connection to happen. You don’t have to agree with everything you listen to. But equality is giving respect to everyone, even your enemy. And when that is too hard to do, the least we can do is listen to our needs and the needs of those we love.
I am grateful for all the people along the way in the past five years, and for all the people who have come and gone throughout my life. This mini-series is of course my perspectives and opinions, you’re allowed to object, challenge, and disagree. In fact, I encourage it. Because I’m sure that in another five years you may be a person that I have learned from too.
Thank you to my brother for being the best big brother there is, and for showing me that life is less about what we do, and more about how we do it.
And to all reading, and to the people along the way - mentioned or not, thank you <3
To another five plus years, Much Love,
Seika Brown.
The people along the way: Week 4- Jana and 312
I wasn’t too sure who I wanted to write about for this week’s article. And I’ve been frustrated with formulating all the words together. In my stress, I found myself wishing to be on the fourth floor of an apartment building in Ithaca, New York. Specifically with three tenants that taught me so much about life in only a few short months. There’s a common saying that we do not meet people by accident, Jana, Daniela, and Claire are my confirmation of that.
In week one of this mini-series I talked about Scott, my sister-in-law’s stepdad who told me to “never leave money on the table”, to be all in or all out in what I do and love. In week two, I told the story of my sophomore year psychology teacher Mr. Wood, who sat me down making me sort through my thoughts and plan out the specific steps toward my first non-profit. In week three, I spoke of the many friends that have reminded me of the need for self-recognition and well-being. If you haven’t read these you can go back and read them in more detail!
The lessons I have shared in the past three weeks have centered around “brutal honesty”. While these lessons can look like soft encouragement from the outside, a lot of these moments were hard for me to hear as I was frustrated with myself and my circumstance. These stories are moments where I was encouraged to get up and continue. To think through my thoughts and move forward. To push when I didn’t want to. I make this distinction because alongside the push for us to continue we must recognize the need for us to rest. Rest is not something to settle for, rather rest is something we must integrate into our daily lives, schedules, and routines. The lack of rest we integrate into our lives causes burnout, lessens passions, and tires our physical and mental wellbeing quickly.
Daniela, Claire, Jana and I
For a while, I was confused about what rest actually looked like. I always thought “rest” and “sleep” were interchangeable terms. But in late February that changed when I met Jana. Jana is a Ph.D. law student from the Netherlands who was studying abroad at Cornell this past spring. And by a matter of many unforeseen events, Daniela and Claire were living in a sublet apartment where Jana was their third roommate. I would often spend time with Daniela and Claire and so in consequence, I met Jana when she moved in. Quickly, the four of us fell into step with each other. Together we had family dinners, had weekly brunches, made coffee, went to bookstores, went on walks, talked about life, laughed together, cried together, mourned together, celebrated together, and so greatly loved and encouraged other.
The best way to describe Jana is “cozy”, there is something about her that makes you want to sit down with a ginger tea to talk about the day and its many events. Whenever I would get frustrated over work or school, she spoke with great gentleness. Jana is many things, but for me, Jana is the reminder of rest. She showed us what true rest looked like. She showed rest in the small chat over the making of tea, or the small walk to get fresh air. She of course encouraged all of us to sleep more, but she encouraged us to find “active rest”. Active rest is the type of rest that talks you down from your emotional high.
And it was beautiful to see how each of us applied that to our daily lives. Claire is the type of person that makes every moment feel alive. In her impulse, she creates rest. From the music she plays while we work, to her sudden decisions to change our study spot, she creates rest by taking us out of our stressed minds. Daniela humbled my morning routine quickly. I once had an extremely detailed morning routine. I used to think that having a strict morning routine provided me with rest. But it quickly became another stressor. But with the many times I slept over at their apartment, Daniela helped me adopt a new, simple and relaxed routine. This time around it’s less structured and flexible to every moment. She helped me enjoy the freedom of a moment.
Me and Jana
Many people in the mental health field look down upon the simple “self-care” habits that are often thrown around. And I agree, taking a walk or making tea won’t make the bad day/week/month/year go away. But removing yourself from your mind of stress or anxiety is a great habit to strive for. This is a preventative measure, not a permanent solution. However, preventative measures assist our physical and mental health. I used to find these preventative measures silly, but when Jana would gently set a cup of tea in front of me and ask about my day for ten minutes, I saw a great deal of change in my stress and productivity. This is a preventative measure that goes beyond physical stressors. When any of us were hurting emotionally there was still great value in taking a step back for ten minutes to breathe.
Brutal honesty is important. We cannot sugarcoat our lives. Hardship happens, and it won’t always look “fair”. But again, we are presented with the opportunity to navigate ourselves forward. This doesn’t need to be done with brash aggression, forcing yourself to “heal”. Rather healing happens when we give ourselves a gentle and small moment to reflect, acknowledge and move on.
I said it last week and I’ll say it again, if I had to give anyone coming into the field of mental health one piece of advice, I would say make sure you do not neglect your own mental health. The behaviors and patterns we adopt influence the lives of the communities around us. You deserve rest, and you need rest. We shouldn’t rest once every few months but integrate it into our daily lives and routines.
Jana is back in the Netherlands now, and I’m not too sure when I’ll get to see her next. But I know that with every small moment of active rest I take, I’ll feel her coziness as if she is right there with me. And rest assured I’ll take my breaks, drink my tea, and walk the walk until I see you again Jana.
To Daniela and Claire, I love you both so much, I’m excited to see what you do in this next chapter. And to Jana, I’m sending you and your family great love and great rest.
Much Love.
The people along the way: Week 3 - Friends
In the past few weeks I have had a lot of meaningful conversations with the next wave of changemakers; individuals and groups of people ready to do good. I can’t help but feel like this mini-series was perfectly timed. Reflecting back on five years has shown me so many ways in which I have grown and changed both in the field of mental health and as an individual. As I begin to step into the role of mentorship, I’m extremely optimistic about how things will continue to change. I equally have so much more to learn and do, which I am also excited about.
But it makes me sentimental. Despite the amount of work left to do, I have seen hope grow more and more. I have seen people across the world step up to make their communities a better place. This collective action gives me hope and passion to continue this work. But today during a meeting I was asked “What gives you hope?”
Natalie and I
Undeniably my friends, both the present and the past, have been my beacon of hope ever since each of them entered my life. I wrote an article for the Seattle Times a few months back and if you read that you should be aware that family is something I find extremely important. And if it wasn’t for my friend (more like a sister) Natalie, I don’t think I would have realized that family extends past our basic definition. Nat showed me at an early age what family really looks like. And ever since, I have found a family in many individuals that I have met in my life so far.
In November of 2021, I was baptized. I remember waking up feeling oddly nervous. One of my closest and best friends Daniela picked me up that morning, and the very moment I got in her car I wanted to cry happy tears. She looked ecstatic to watch the day unfold, it made me emotional just seeing her excitement for me. We arrived at church a little late compared to everyone else and I remember being in awe of how filled it was. Part of my baptism was sharing my testimony or life story. I stood in front of some of my closest friends that morning watching them watch me with tears of joy in their eyes. I never felt more loved than that moment.
My friend Clara was the one who inspired me to do this mini-series, she was also the one who planned a surprise party after my baptism, where she gave me one of the most meaningful gifts I have ever received. She handed me an envelope of a bunch of mini letters from my friends on campus. Not only that, she got two of my closest friends from home to write me a letter. In Nat’s letter to me, she said “Seika’s relationship with her faith will forever be my beacon of hope… Out of every award she’s won, every title she’s earned, and every life she’s changed, Seika developing a system of faith is the accomplishment I’m most proud of her for.”
I choose to share this story with you because the point is centered on love. When you have people in your life that love you and support you in finding the things that you love, you found a family. I know it is cheesy, but love truly goes the distance. And while this world becomes a boiling pot of hate, I truly believe that we are left with the choice to either add more hate or to take the risk and love more.
Though personally, I don’t find it that risky anymore. I know that is a very privileged and lucky thing to say. But I haven’t always felt loved. Being vulnerable is difficult, but our friendships should not be a matter of performance - something that Natalie reminded me of this past winter. Over an emotional phone call she told me “I’m not proud of you if these accomplishments come at such a steep price, the handful of lives you may impact doesn’t mean anything if it comes at the cost of your happiness”. Nat and I view a lot of things differently, but that’s probably what makes us good friends. I’m a workaholic at heart, I have my handful of flaws and barriers to work through. To have a friend that cares enough to talk sense into me while I go into overdrive is something I am beyond grateful for. To have a friend like Nat that cares about my happiness more than my ability to produce quality work makes me feel like I’ve won in life. I’m lucky that Nat is not the only one. Something my friend Anabel once told me was “that even if you stopped your research, your work, your sharing, etc, you would still be seen and still be loved.”
312 :)
I know that if I closed the curtains on everything, I could turn around and still be loved. And that is the most emotional thing I have ever and will probably ever experience. As someone who still struggles in sharing their “life story” with people, my friends give me hope. I’m not sure if I will ever be able to give the full story, and I doubt anyone feels like they can. And while I know my friends would be there for me if I stopped this work, I equally know they would never let me do that because of how much I love it. Great friends encourage you to be better than where you are today.
If I had to give one piece of advice to anyone entering the field of mental health, I would say to make sure you don’t neglect yourself and surround yourself with people that see you for more than what you do. While you begin to devote your life to the livelihood of others, you cannot backtrack on your own wellbeing. Equally, the courage that it takes to work in this field is beyond admirable. Your ability to step into a fragmented field of opinions, confusion, and chaos is admirable. But we all come into the field of mental health for our friends, family, and younger selves. And we shouldn’t forget that. Love the people that love and support you, and love them greatly.
Despite how things can change in the future I’m grateful for the people who are in my life, and for the people who have been in it. So thank you to the ones that sing Runaway Baby with me during every car ride, to the ones that make me cry with every bouquet of tulips I see, thank you to the ones who buy brown sugar shaken espressos, thank you to E4, thank you to the one who ran alongside me during my track career, to the one that got me into coffee, to the one’s who always need a cough drop at church, to the one’s in my bible studies, and to all of my friends and family.
You are my hope, you inspire me, and you are the reason why this work is important.
Much Love.
The people along the way: Week Two - Mr. Wood
I started my work after a school-wide “TED Talk” contest during my freshman year of high school. The friends that were there to listen to my speech know how badly it went. I made no sense; I had no outlined speech, I was talking purely from experience with no clear subject, message, or goal. I still cringe thinking about that day - I walked off that stage angry and in tears because I knew that all I said was a jumbled mess of anger and confusion. I was angry at the school, my parents, and the situations going on in my life at that time. And I was confused about how I was supposed to approach the problems I was facing. I knew in my heart that the point I wanted to make was that as a school we should have an environment where students can access resources and be heard. Though, if anything, all I did was yell at my high school administrators about how badly they were running the school. At 15, I didn’t know how to communicate this problem, and I didn’t know how to approach possible solutions.
In my experience confusion can lead to so much anger. When we are confused about how we are feeling, our thoughts become tangled and our emotions no longer feel rational. Confusion can feel limiting to what we want to say and what we want to do. My confusion made me stumble through the TED talk. I felt a lot of shame for the way I handled the presentation and was embarrassed by how I delivered the speech. I took the summer of 2017 to brainstorm ways to help my community, but I remember thinking I would never be able to make another speech or presentation. In my mind, I didn’t have a voice.
At the beginning of my sophomore year, I took an introductory psychology course. For our final project, we had to find a problem in the high school and present a solution for it to our administrators. I saw this as a redeeming opportunity to make a proper presentation about the rising stress and anxiety rates in students at school. Yet as I began outlining the proposal for the final presentation, I was stumped once again. I didn’t know how to communicate what I was thinking and feeling. I became frustrated when my teacher, Mr. Wood, began asking questions. He asked, “how do you know stress and anxiety rates are rising in students?” He asked me “why is it important to talk about mental health?” These initial questions made me think that he thought the idea was dumb. On the contrary, he told me that these are the questions I should be asking myself.
Mr. Wood then told me that he knows mental health is important. But he asked me why it was important to me. That question made me think - why is mental health important to me? I thought about my brother who attempted suicide when I was eight and realized that since then it has always mattered. I saw my family struggle at an early age. At eight years old you don’t know terms like “suicide”, “depression”, or “mental health”. The confusion around not knowing what was happening created my frustration and anger. Seeing something is one thing, seeing something and not knowing how to talk about it is another. Mental health is important because by recognizing what we are feeling and are experiencing, we are able to make conclusions, ask proper questions, and move forward. You can’t control every situation you face in life, but you can maintain how you react to it. But in order to do this, we need to have the knowledge of what we are experiencing and feeling. This requires a great deal of self-reflection.
Until Mr. Wood, I never talked to anyone about my brother’s suicide attempt or the family situation I grew up in. I confided in a few friends, but even then I didn’t tell the whole story in full. I stayed in his classroom for hours after class that day. He sat at my desk with me and listened to me explain all of my emotions. I told him everything from beginning to end. I know I was crying during the whole conversation, but he remained patient and he listened. In the end, he asked me what I was going to do to help others if that is what I wanted. It was then I came up with a clear outline for the final presentation. The problem was rising stress and anxiety rates in schools - as seen by data collected from student surveys. And the solution would be to create a mental health resource club that raised awareness around what mental health is and the resources that our school provided. While confident with the idea, I still doubted my ability to voice it.
It was then that Mr. Wood told me something I still quote to this day, “you don’t ‘find’ your voice, but realize that you have always had one”. But to realize your voice, you must take the time to reflect on yourself, the things you have been through, and what you value. By talking through my life with him that day in the classroom, I was able to get my confusion, anger, and frustration off my chest. He didn’t offer me an explanation or advice, he simply listened. Listening is a virtue I hold deeply in my work. Listening is the catalyst to connection. But in order to connect with others, you have to connect with yourself too. In order to listen to others, you have to listen to yourself too. In order to use your voice, you must take the time to reflect on yourself. Your voice has been with you since the start of your life, there simply will be a point where you realize how to utilize it. And once you do, help others realize their own too. We aren’t meant to yell over one another, but to listen, connect and hear one another.
The cover slide to our final presentation (my sophomore yr in high school)
In the end, I was able to adequately speak through the entire final presentation. And while the school denied my club idea, I embarked on a much larger journey. From there my friends and I founded a non-profit organization that focused on mental health policy change and awareness. We worked in the Washington State Legislator for three years, assisting two bills, passing one in 2019. I graduated high school in 2020 and was awarded the principal’s award after creating a good relationship with my high school admin. Coming into university, I disbanded the non-profit and started a new initiative researching how mental health is defined across cultures and backgrounds. I’ve conducted interviews with individuals from over 10+ countries, listening to their lives, and helping them recognize their own voices. Letting them create their own change. Five years after the conversation with Mr. Wood, I’ve done presentations to a multitude of major institutions and universities.
But despite all of these things, the greatest accomplishment so far has been in the genuine relationships and connections I have made across the years. None of these things would have been done if it weren’t for the people in my life. So, Mr. Wood if you are reading this you have my deepest gratitude and appreciation. If it was not for you, I don’t think any of the things that were accomplished in the past five years would have been possible.
His brutal honesty in sitting me down and having me sort out my emotions and thoughts is something I still do today in prayer, journaling, and overall self-reflection. It’s a good reminder that we don’t “find” our voice, but simply recognize that it has always been there in the first place.
Much Love!
The people along the way: Week One - Scott
The reason that I applied to Cornell back in 2019 is all because of my sister in laws stepdad Scott who told me to “never leave any money on the table”.
“Never leave any money on the table” is one of the cheesiest statements I’ve ever heard. Equally, it was one of the most life-changing statements that I’ve heard.
Around the last week of October in 2019, my brother’s girlfriend (now wife) invited us over for dinner at her parent’s house. My older brother Zaviar is my best friend and his wife Louise is the sister I never had. And Louise’s family is one of great joy. Her mom is the definition of warmth. Every time I step into their house I’m greeted with a double kiss on the cheek and food being brought to me. Everything about her is cozy, you feel welcomed, loved, and you can’t help but smile being around her. On the opposite end is Louise’s stepdad Scott. Scott was in the army, from Texas, and is this big guy that looks like he could throw you if he wanted to. But I wouldn’t call him intimidating at first glance, just like his wife, there is something engaging about him. He’s the kind of guy that will give you brutal honesty but in the best way possible.
And that is exactly what he did to me. The fall of 2019 was the beginning of my senior year of high school. The prospect of college was simply a hope at the time. I had a 2.6 cumulative GPA and a pretty low SAT score. Unlike the rest of my friends, I didn’t take the time to thoughtfully plan out which universities I wanted to go to. I picked a few within my academic range and hoped for the best. At dinner, Scott asked me which schools I was applying to, I told him my small list of four schools and he stared at me very confused.
He proceeded to ask me why I wasn’t applying to anything more rigorous. I told him I didn’t have the academic standing for it. Applying to a top-tier university wasn’t even a thought that crossed my mind. He laughed at me and asked about my non-profit work. I told him I didn’t include it on my applications because I didn’t think it would matter.
He told me that just because I didn’t have the scores doesn’t mean I don’t have the brains. He proceeded to say “never leave any money on the table”. He was telling me to be smart; include what I do have and use it to my advantage. Top-tier schools aren’t simply looking for scores, they are looking for capable individuals. Scott told me to apply to Brown University, Rice University, and Cornell University.
When I went home that night I looked at each school, Cornell stood out to me for a multitude of reasons. So I decided to apply ED (early decision) at Cornell. The only issue was that the ED application deadline was in a week (November 1st). Thankfully, two of my teachers and two people that I have worked with in my non-profit were willing to write a letter of rec at the last minute. (Shout out to y’all)
I wrote my essay the night it was due and then one month later, I was accepted to Cornell.
Scott changed my life not just because of a statement, or because he “believed” in me. He showed me how to believe in myself. Under no other circumstance would I have applied to Cornell. And now attending it is a constant reminder of the people that helped me get there.
Scott taught me a valuable lesson to me that day. Being halfhearted in the things you do is an extremely large disservice to the people who are supporting you and to yourself. Scott never told me that “I can do it”. He told me to take a grip on what I was doing, not to think about what I could’ve done.
In the field of mental health, we see a lot of encouragement for people to settle; if their illnesses or hardship are preventing them from doing something, then that is okay. I’m not saying I disagree with this, but I am saying that this statement shouldn’t be the ultimate decision for how we live our lives. To be gentle with yourself and to rest, requires you to not be halfhearted in who you are.
Your illness, your setback, your fear, your discouragement, or overall struggle does not need to have an ultimate hold on you. You are more than capable of doing something. Your illness or hard day is not a limit to your potential. No matter how long it takes you to heal and grow, your potential is not shaken. Our instinct to back out or be halfhearted in the things we do will weigh us down.
Scott is a brutally honest individual, but that is where a genuine connection is made. The next few weeks will show a theme of the people in my life giving me their “brutal honesty”, but when you have someone in your corner that wants you to be better than where you are today is the definition of love.
Thank you Scott for your realness and support! I’m very grateful that my brother married into your family. <3
Reflection 1: Gratefulness (and why searching for happiness is dumb)
In my first post where I described my work, I talked about the importance of reflection. Sometimes moments like the one I am about to describe are moments that I think are worth reflecting on and sharing. To keep it simple, I will call them reflections to ensure it doesn’t get in the way of normal blog posting material.
I was talking recently to a friend over lunch about how we are both very nostalgic people. And she was telling me about sometimes it feels as if it is a flaw. That she spends too much time being nostalgic when she could be enjoying the moment.
I think the feeling of nostalgia is something to embrace, however. And I wonder if you can be nostalgic for moments that are happening right as we live them. I think nostalgia is one of those interesting feelings, where you look back on the moments that made you so happy, that now, it makes you sad. But I think it is a type of gratefulness we can have for the moments we have lived and the moments we are currently living.
I think a lot of our emotions can be related back to gratefulness. A sort of gratitude towards moments, things, people, or really anything that life maintains. And nostalgia is one of those feelings. And I told my friend that I think her awareness of being nostalgic is not necessarily a flaw, rather a sign that she is grateful for the experiences of her past; the good and bad.
If anything, I find it as a strength. To be grateful and to look back upon moments in life that have shaped you, is a beautiful thing. And is something that more people should do. There is not much of a thought to this post, however, I think gratefulness is something we often misread.
I think searching and working towards happiness is dumb. I don’t want to live my life searching for happiness. I rather spend my life living moments that I can be grateful for when I look back on them. And frankly, I think those two statements write different narratives. To spend life working towards something; especially something like happiness, you won’t ever reach it. However, perhaps it is the opposite narrative we should be writing. Instead of making the future the goal, we should make the past and present something to be grateful for. As in, if I were to spend my whole life trying to find happiness, odds will be that I will never reach it. I will always find some other area in my life where I could be happier. And happiness isn’t an achievement where if you receive it once, it stays. Moments that we experience happiness in are moments to be grateful for. So, to work to live more grateful moments is much better to say than to say you will work for happiness.
Because gratefulness is not just found in moments that brought you joy or bliss. They are also found in moments that have tried you and presented you with hardship. You can be grateful for a trial and not love it. You can be grateful for hardship and not have found happiness from it. To be grateful is to respect what this thing or person or experience was able to provide. Whether that be happiness, pain, or something in between, we can find ways to be grateful. But gratefulness is not loved, nor is it hate. It is simply appreciating what you have experienced in life. And I hope to experience more things in life; good and bad, that leaves me grateful.
So back to nostalgia. Sometimes I find myself being nostalgic for moments where I have suffered the most. Because now I know the end result. I am nostalgic for that overcoming, that at this moment I am not experiencing. Though I do think that being able to recognize character growth and setback is remarkable. And it is something I am grateful for. To be nostalgic is to look back on the moments that have shaped you, left you with a memory, and gave you something. Whether that something is good or bad, I pray we are able to find gratefulness within it.
My childhood cat died this past week. His name was Tora (Japanese for Tiger). And as sad as I am, I am also grateful. I am grateful that this little kitty of mine has been my companion throughout life for the past many years. And while I am heartbroken over his death, I am grateful for his life. That does not mean I am not sad or mourning him. It just means I appreciate what he has been able to provide, and the symbol of life that he gave me. It doesn’t mean I am overly optimistic; I don’t see his death as a “good thing”. It is saddening. I am just thankful for all that we experienced together.
Just like how I am already nostalgic (and grateful) for this lunch I had today with a friend. To answer my own question, I do think you can be nostalgic for moments you are currently living. Simply because we are aware of the greatness of the moments we are experiencing. And what a blessing that is.
Much Love,
Seika Brown
The Authenticity of Me.
It isn’t hard to lose yourself in your work. And I’ll be honest, one of my personal pet peeves about my work is that I am so persistent in keeping my “life” and my “work-life” separate. Selfishly, I want to separate these two things; pretending that they don’t co-exist. In a way, I felt it would be easier. I thought by separating the two things I would ensure that I wouldn’t make my identity my work. But in doing so, I also don’t show my identity to those I work with. But then, I hide my work from those I love. And as someone who makes their whole message be based on “genuineness”, I sure fail to do that. I think one of the biggest flaws in social work is the separation of work and life, and the inability to balance it. As in, we often share only bits and pieces, or too much. But there is a possible healthy balance between the two worlds. I don’t want my story to be a story of just the work I do. I want it to be the flaws and strengths of my character. I don’t want to repeat the same answer to the same questions I get asked. I want to be creative, I want to grow, but remain consistent in who I am. And I am someone who wants to learn. I want to show genuineness in my work but my genuineness in my work comes from the genuineness of my character. I fail to do either by separating them.
For example, the strangest thing to me is that the people I work with don’t know the name of my brother. And in practically every interview I have ever done, or in every speech or on every panel, I have mentioned him. The reason why is simple; he is mine why. My brother is my role model and best friend, and his name is Zaviar. He’s four years older than I am, married to a wonderful woman, and is working as a software developer. He’s 23 and has lived a crazy life of his own. Another thing is that people don’t know the names of my friends, and they don’t know much about my parents, or the city that I come from. You only know parts of my life and story that seem relevant to my work. Yet at the same time, every story, every bit of who I am, is relevant to my work. You can google what I do, but you can’t see who I am. And that’s an image I kept choosing to put.
While it seems like a minuscule problem to have, it’s an important one to recognize. I firmly believe that if you change who you are in every setting you go to, you fail to represent what really matters; you. And it isn’t that I feel like I have failed to represent myself correctly in my work, but that I chose parts of me to expose. Which isn’t right. Especially when I am asking people to share their stories too. In a recent interview I did, I mentioned that a person’s voice isn’t “found”, rather it is recognized. The reality of life is that you always have had your voice. You don’t need to go searching anywhere to get it, you just need to take the steps forward to speak what you feel and think. This is still something I struggle with. I recognize what I can do with the voice I have but fear it.
But I also don’t want that to overshadow the main goal of the YLG Project (my research initiative). The goal of the research isn’t to share my voice, or my perspective or opinion, or thought about “mental health”. It is meant to be a place where people can talk about themselves. I think personally, what kept me wanting to separate my home life from my “work” life, was the fear of being preachy. I always have been the person with something to say, so running an organization where I ask myself to take a back seat is humbling in a way. I was afraid of being preachy to the audience I speak to. Then, I was afraid of being preachy to my friends and family at home. It isn’t that I am wise, or knowledgeable, or an expert of what I am talking about. Rather, it is that I am none of those things. I have so much to learn. And there are things in the way this world works that I feel are wrong but don’t have the background of whether or not that is true. It is not a flaw when you do not know something, it is a flaw when you know you don’t know but pretend to do.
This past July, I did a photoshoot interview with the clothing line IDONTMIND. Their whole message is to have honest conversations about our minds. And it reminded me of the authenticity that I value. I want to keep an honest and genuine conversation. Talking about the hardships, the lessons, the stories of what I do, where I come from, and what makes me, me is something I don’t mind doing. My authenticity comes with my failures and successes and everything in between.
So, I guess this post isn’t much of anything. I’m not talking about the results of my research or sharing a story that led me here today. But perhaps we can allow this to be a preface to what is to come. So here are some updates. Currently, I am interviewing people from India while conducting some interviews here in the States. I am working on extending my global outreach and am super hyped that I have been getting interviews from other countries. Though, I am also on campus right now for university. So bear with me as I figure out how to tell my professors that I can’t come to class today because I am speaking to someone from India over zoom.
What inspired this post was a phone call I had with a close friend of mine; she’s practically a sister to me. Her name is Natalie and she asked me why I don’t speak too much about my work to my friends and family around me. The answer to that is everything you have read up to this point. And if you go back to my post before this one, you’ll see at the end of it that I made it clear that the story I told wasn’t a “story of me or who I am”. I made it clear, as if I was ashamed, that my work is simply a product of who I am. So, allow me to end this differently. One, Natalie if you’re reading this, doesn’t this sound a little more like me? And two, I did mean what I said. My work is a product of who I am, not in a bad way, but in a way that embraces my flaws and strengths alike. I promise that the next post (which may happen sooner than later), will be one of more substance. I will be talking about my own cultural experience being raised in a mixed culture household, and how that inspired me to do what I do today.
But hopefully, you will see why this is a substantial post regardless.
Much love,
Seika Brown
When I founded an organization at 15.
The end of 2021 will mark five years of engaging in mental health-related work. Five years is crazy to me; I started my work when I was 15, and I’ll be turning 20 in December. While so much has happened in the past five years, if anything remained constant it would be how much I value “reflection”. Looking back on where you were in the past is such a beautiful thing. And sometimes it sucks, I think back to good moments and the bittersweet feeling of nostalgia sits within me. And sometimes reflection is amazing. I think back to the bad moments and hardship, smiling at overcoming them.
Then there are moments in life that force you to reflect. The pandemic was one of those moments for all of us. Graduating high school, or watching my brother getting married all in the same year takes my breath away. And maybe this is the fallout of “growing up”, but part of reflection is following the story of whoever you are. I truly believe if you do not reflect once in a while, you begin to lose track of who you are. In a sense, if you do not reflect, you’re self-sabotaging your own story.
Even though I am only 19, it seems as if I am already losing memories of all the moments that led up to where I am today. So, for the sake of myself and you too, let’s reflect.
For starters, my name is Seika Brown, I’m a 19-year-old rising sophomore in university, coming from a town about 25 minutes out from Seattle, Washington. As I have mentioned, my work started back when I was 15 in my sophomore psychology class. It began when my teacher assigned us our final project, which was to find an issue in the school and present a solution to the administration.
I saw the project as a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness for an issue that existed in all of us, even if it is stigmatized. After my psych teacher gave us the green light for the project, two of my friends and I began some research.
The “research” fell into two categories; one being online and the other being “field” research where we sent out a survey to students in our school. After we collected both categories of research, we analyzed the problem as “increasing anxiety and stress rates in schools”. We decided that the solution would be to create a resource club in school for students to utilize. After the presentation, the administration told me it was a “great idea, but we are not having a resource club”.
They said no to me right off the bat. It was a huge letdown. I thought coming into the presentation that it was the most organized, well-prepped, and convincing story that had to have them shaking my hand at the end, which didn’t happen.
At least I got an A.
And when I say, “I at least got an A”, I mean that with zero ounces of sarcasm. My sophomore year of high school was the worst year for me academically. All of high school for me was a failure in the term of academics. I failed two classes, had one too many D’s, and not the hottest scores all around. Getting an A on that presentation was a pretty good outcome for me, now that I am looking back. But my 15-year-old self couldn’t care less about grades and was beyond stubborn.
It was my stubbornness that I had at 15 which started the work I have built in the past five years. I recall telling my friend about my disappointment. He jokingly told me afterward that I should take it up to the superintendent because they “can’t say no to their boss”.
And I did exactly that.
I grabbed a few of my friends in school, sat them down, and said we will go to our superintendent and get our club passed. And while they were hyped alongside me, my friend Yennie was more logical than the rest of us. She proposed the good question of “how are we going to do that.”
I realized I needed some guidance, after looking online, I found the Youth Activism Project; an organization that assists young people to pursue campaigns on problems that they care about. I sent in my application, and a few weeks later I got accepted. They assigned me with a mentor who encouraged me to reach out to professionals in the field to get input on my club proposal.
I emailed legislatures, senators, officers, and non-profits in Washington State asking for their thoughts and advice. I was lucky to get a few responses. One stood out, State Legislature Tina Orwall emailed me back proposing to meet in person to talk. I emailed back right away and then that weekend I was sitting in a Starbucks with a state legislature.
What was a want for a high school club propelled from there. We sat in the Starbucks for hours, talking about mental health, my club idea, and then she mentioned a bill that was in the works. Orwall asked if my team and I wanted to take part in a suicide prevention bill – I clearly said yes.
That is where I started my junior year of high school. That year my friends and I founded our youth organization “Archnova”; two Latin and Greek roots combined meaning New Beginnings. We felt as if we were creating a new beginning, a bunch of 15- and 16-year-old kids working on a bill. We testified and assisted with research for a few months.
Only to be met with disappointment when we received news that the budgeting and funding for the services that the bill would have provided were beyond expensive and non-negotiable. Therefore, the bill was halted in committee. While it was disheartening, I was still determined in doing the thing that started all of this work: get a mental health resource club in my school.
After months of work that built up testimonies for my club proposal and credibility as a presenter, I scheduled a meeting with my superintendent. My co-lead at the time and I created a presentation, went to his office, and presented our pitch.
And this time, we were met with hesitancy. While I was not given a no, I wasn’t given a yes.
They said they would try and collaborate with youth, but no promise of doing anything.
I left his office with the words of my friend who spoke to me after my psychology presentation: “they can’t say no to their boss”.
Stubborn as ever, I followed that advice again. Archnova was invited to work on another bill. This bill focused on providing a student well-being advisory committee; where districts had to create opportunities for students to provide input around needed areas of support in schools.
This bill did get passed.
And it was a great feeling knowing we didn’t stop at the first, second, or even third no. While it wasn’t the same ask I had when I was 15 in my psychology class, this committee allows other students to go straight to people in their district, rather than doing the months of waiting for a response that I had to do.
It wasn’t a “resource hub”, or a program that added funding for mental health resources, but it was a foundation for student and administration collaboration. And that was even better than what I could have hoped for.
All of this happened in one year, and as my senior year approached, “college” weighed over my head. This is where I refer to being a terrible student. Even though I was doing all this work, I was doing terribly in school; hardly maintaining a passing grade.
I wanted to go to college, my brother who is my best friend, also struggled in high school. He did not walk at his graduation. He is someone who sacrificed so much for my success. And I wanted to go to college for him. I was willing to go anywhere, aiming for small schools.
It wasn’t until I had dinner with my brother, his wife, and her parents where her dad asked me where I was applying to. I told him my small list of four universities. He told me that I shouldn’t “leave any money on the table”, and realize that my work outside of school is more valuable than any GPA or SAT score could be.
He told me to look into Cornell, Brown, and Rice, and that night once I got home, I decided to apply to Cornell. A month and a half later, I was accepted into Cornell University with early decision.
Then the question of “what are you going to do with Archnova” arose. Those that I worked with questioned the future of my work, and I did too. It felt unfair to force my friends to work into college; I couldn’t promise a salary or a plan.
At the end of 2019 when I turned 18, I decided I would not continue Archnova into college. We spent the rest of our senior year – into covid, creating an activism toolkit with the help of the global organization citiesRISE. The toolkit provided a detailed six-step plan of how to create an activism campaign like Archnova’s.
In June of 2020, I graduated high school and spent the summer quarantined doing virtual events with citiesRISE. Last August I flew to New York for the first time to begin my first semester of university at Cornell. In October I attended a virtual event with the ex-chief of health at UNICEF; Stefan Peterson to talk about mental health on world mental health day. That event inspired the newly founded “YLG Research”.
YLG or “Youth Lead Globally”, aims to discover how mental health is defined across cultures. Being half Japanese and half English, my parents define mental health differently based on their own experience in where they grew up. Neither definition is wrong or right, it just is. With YLG, I am not aiming to find the “true definition”, I am not aiming to find a problem or a solution, the point of YLG is to have a conversation. Through ethnographic research, we aim to listen, not to “help”.
And that is where I am at today. I’ve grown some patience and became less stubborn. I can safely say I am still dedicated as ever, but with a calm mind. I am grateful to those adults and organizations that were willing to listen to me at a young age. I hope to provide the same ears that many provided me in my work. Currently, I am in the works of having YLG be funded and sponsored! And things are looking well!
Though, I want to clarify that the story I just told is not a story of me, or who I am. It is a story of what I have done, and what I hope to continue to do. My work is not me, rather a product of who I am.
I have experienced my struggles. Before my organization and work, I struggled at home. I witnessed my brother, and my parents struggle with mental illness and substance abuse. I was eight when my brother attempted suicide. But by God’s will, between eight and eighteen I was able to do amazing things, and experience amazing hardships. In the years of Archnova, I faced challenges that I never thought I would face.
But those stories, are stories for another time.
As I said, it has been almost five years since the start of my work. There have been countless moments, events, and memories that fit between those five years. These are the stories I hope to share with you. In this blog, I will be sharing those moments, lessons, and memories with you! And if you, the reader have any questions, areas of needed clarifications, or just curious to learn more about me, email me at seikabrown16@gmail.com, and I’ll happily answer those questions in the newsletter, or privately. If you would like to collaborate in any way, email me, or schedule an appointment through my website at seikabrown.com.
Thank you for listening, and if you want someone to listen to, reach out to me and we can share your story at YLG, anyone is welcome :)
Seika Brown