Hey there, Blog Reader! My name is Rachel Zajicek Smith. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker #LCSW by trade; a curious, witty & soulful human by nature; and a Doctor of Social Work by perfectionist tendencies, a 'surprise-to-me-but-no-one-else' diagnosis of #ADHD in 2022, a ridiculous amount of student loan debt, and the grace bestowed upon me by frequencies beyond my logical comprehension.
Having obtained the highest professional degree in my field, it may (not) surprise you to discover that I embody an insatiable curiosity for life.
Subjectively thinking, the previous decades of my life presented me with a multitude of FGOs, through each of which I was fully convinced I wasn't going to survive.
What are FGOs, you ask? F**king Growth Opportunities. Pivotal life moments, if you will; which for me, were also often emotionally brutal, hence the cursing.
Well, internet friends, #FGOs are the reason why I am starting my #blog on #MentalHealth as a #Neurodiverse human.
Life can be really beautiful and devastating, often simultaneously and without warning, which sucks. It is also really easy to get whisked away by the devastating parts.
Today is one of life's beautifully devastating days for me. July 19th/20th is my Mom's birthday (the tale of two birthdays is story for another time); she'd be 73 this year. Her physical body left this side of eternity exactly one and a half years ago a week ago Tuesday (did you follow all that? If so, congrats! I was there and had a hard time keeping track of the timeline.)
My Mother and I had a complicated relationship while her embodied self was here. My Mom lived a hard life, which many times made it damn near impossible for me to know how to love her and be loved by her. Yes, it is multi-layered, and no, we're not getting into it right now.
In this year of 2025, I am grateful to exist during a place in time where I can freely love and miss my Mom terribly without her criticizing me for it (another story for another post).
One of my Mom's careers for many years was as a children's library paraprofessional; she was very particular about language arts. She IS the deeply-rooted cause of my grammar snob tendencies...which absolutely helped me compose a freaking dissertation...so <enter reluctant grateful sigh here> thanks, Mom.
Earlier today, my favorite husband and I borrowed my cousin's ten year old daughter for a couple hours, my Mom's great niece, to attend a library-sponsored comic/anime event at a local library. #NerdAlert One perk of the event, in addition to free admission & swag bags for the first 500 attendees, were independent artists & vendors of the craft, food, and game variety with some uniquely awesome merchandise for sale.
While pausing to help organize my Mom's great niece's fun money, I noticed that in her wallet, she carries a small wooden heart with 'Aunt Diana' printed neatly in the middle.
MY HEART!
It was in that moment, it clicked; Mom brought us to one of her favorite places to experience collective joy on her birthday. #CueTheWaterWorks #EmbracingGrief #ANewNormal
Now that I've likely struck an emotional cord with you, (hey, it's what makes me great at what I do) I invite you to acknowledge any heavy life stuff weighing on your mind/heart, whenever you are encountering this post. Please know that your life stuff is welcome in this space with no judgment, requirements, or strings attached.
I encourage you to create time and space for you TODAY to expend the pent up emotional energy that may be present for you.
Slow down, breathe deeply, drink water, move your body, gently engage with nature & yourself.
BTW, this is the permission you don't really need but probably appreciate having anyway.
Go ahead, practice responding to yourself with compassion instead of criticism.
If your inner critic is shouting at you right now, please pause, take a breath, maybe place your hands over your heart space & accept the abundant compassion I am holding for you now, in this moment, whenever you are encountering this.
My intention is for this blog to be a virtual soft landing space amidst the chaos that often accompanies the connected human experience. A planned pause.
In a non-stop world full of heavy life stuff, our most powerful act of resistance is in the pause.
Just curious, when was the last time you intentionally paused for joy?
[IMAGE FROM ORIGINAL POST]
Your Mental Health and I Thank You for Stopping By!
Tl;dr: Welcome to a new *clinically-informed* mental health blog on navigating life stuff, brought to you by a doctoral-level educated human, born with a delightfully neurospicy brain.
If this content resonated with you and you're excited for more, consider engaging with this post to let me know! Comment, share, and consider subscribing to be the first to know when new content becomes available.
Energetically sending love & ease your way.
In #Gratitude,
Dr. Rachel