Jess Takimoto

Only a week late to the game on this one...😅 THANK YOU so much to Solana from the HerCampus team for making the time to hear my story and sharing it with your community!

So little of why I do what I do is fun workouts. It’s the advocating for mental health, healthy eating habits, and positive body image. It’s connecting with other people. It’s helping you feel less alone and realizing that your story matters! It’s trying to make even a small dent in the confidence gap, for today and tomorrow. That’s the stuff that counts🙌🏽

To everyone that supports the SHINE mission, thank you for showing up. Thank you for caring and thank you for sharing. I genuinely have no words to express how grateful I am for you superstars🌟

PS. Full article is on the HerCampus website - link in the bio! Let me know if you read it 🥰 @ University District, Kingston

I’ve seen a bunch of posts today about mental health in support of day (which are AWESOME) and I’ve been racking my brain about how I can contribute without it being performative. There’s a ton of nice, uplifting, inspirational type posts but somehow making one doesn’t feel right for me right now.

I think in the past few years mental health has become so mainstream that sometimes we say we are doing things in the name of mental health or self care that actually detract from the real problem.

I know are so many of YOU in my community that struggle on a daily basis, and I’m not talking about mental illness. I’m talking about poor mental health - whether it’s stress from school, work, the pandemic, being at home all day, social isolation, or uncertainty, we truly are in *unprecedented* times. I know that so many of you put a smile on your face to get through the day but are hurting inside.

From being so anxious you feel like you can’t do anything to feeling too sad or depressed to get out of bed, those things aren’t silly. That’s REAL. If you’re struggling, I see you. You don’t have to have a mental illness to experience poor mental health.

Now more than ever, understanding, learning about, and talking about mental health is essential.

I may be a little biased because I’m a Fitness Instructor, but exercise is one of the single best contributors to preventative mental health care. Physical health IS mental health. It’s not a short-term game. The day you start making your health your biggest priority is a day that will change your life. If you haven’t already, make today that day. You are worth it💙

@ Queen's University