The Doing Well Newsletter | Vol. 9

by Jesse Katches

My Mental Health Toolkit

is it ok if i share some helpful resources this week?

i think it’s always a good idea to gather information from a variety of sources in order to get a diversified flow of knowledge. so i wanted to take some time to share with you a brief list of resources that have been adding to my toolkit in recent weeks.

R E A D I N G   L I S T  |  Two Books

the latest books i’ve read are “As a Man Thinketh” and “Hardcore Self Help: F**ck Anxiety.” the hardcore self-help book, although it did possess some useful tools, was not my favorite and i wouldn’t go around recommending it. i don’t feel i share the same sentiment or approach as the author, but as i said, it’s good to hear all different perspectives. “As a Man Thinketh,” on the other hand was an amazing book written in 1902 which is all about the power of the mind and how it’s used for both positive and negative influence. this one is a very quick read and well worth it.

you can see the above plus a few more of my book recommendations here.

if you have any books to recommend to me, please respond back to this email, i would love to hear them!

P H Y S I C A L   P R A C T I C E S  |  Breathing Exercise

in the past i have shied away from many breathing practices because the thought of attempting them would induce an anticipatory anxiety response inside of me. i am now in a much better place and i am diving headfirst into learning the amazing power of our breath. this past week i came across a beginners breathing exercise from Wim Hof and immediately began incorporating it into my morning routine. i believe that our breath has the power to change how we feel and i’ll continue sharing what i learn as i do.

D I G I T A L   T O O L S  |  Online Course

i also believe that there is great power in the ability to use our voice how we want. i personally feel that i have concealed my true voice for a long long time due to my anxiety and i am on a path to letting that voice free. i’m currently working on this by listening to an audiobook by a vocal coach and taking the accompanying online course/exercises that come with it. i will circle back and give more info if i believe this one is worthwhile.

P H Y S I C A L  T O O L S  -  Testing

i’m currently testing/waiting to receive a few physical products to put to use and see if they can help calm anxiety and allow us to live more freely. i’m personally hesitant to rely on any physical tools to calm my anxiety because i don’t want to anchor my safety to a physical thing, but i do believe there are some beneficial tools that can act as an interim crutch until we gain the proper strength that we need to go on our own. if i find that any of these products may be useful, i would be happy to share them with you in the near future.

the above is not an extensive list of resources but rather just a few points that have been on my mind as of late. what about you? what was the last thing that you purchased or discovered that assisted in your mental health journey? please respond back to this email and lmk.

now go have a wonderful, safe, weekend, and as always - i love you and i’m here for you if you need me .