Authority Magazine - Self-Care & Mental Wellness: Author Arielle Spring On The Top Five Selfcare Practices That Improve Mental Wellness
An Interview With Maria Angelova
Stair climbing. When I’m not in the pool, the gym or doing gyrokinesis, I’m climbing stairs in my building. It builds healthy muscles, joints and strengthens my heart.
Let’s face it. It seems that everyone is under a great deal of stress these days. This takes a toll on our mental wellness. What are some of the best self-care practices that we can use to help improve our mental wellness and mental well-being? In this interview series, we are talking to medical doctors, mental health professionals, health and wellness professionals, and experts about self-care or mental health who can share insights from their experience about How Each Of Us Can Use Self Care To Improve Our Mental Wellness. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Arielle Spring.
Arielle Spring, author of When Birds Sing: My Journey from Trauma to Triumph, is a living example of a phoenix rising. Her idyllic life spiraled out of control for over 20 years due to experiencing many traumas. In her darkest moment, she saw a light to freedom and began her ascent to wholeness. Spring’s openness, insight, and warm empathetic heart has inspired her to share her story. A health and life coach, Arielle also has served as a group facilitator for abuse and trauma victims.
Thank you so much for doing this interview with us. It is a great honor. Our readers would love to learn more about you and your personal background. Can you please share your personal story? What has brought you to this point in your life?
I experienced an over two decade long downward spiral into darkness of abuse, trauma and homelessness due to untreated sexual assaults I suffered as a teen. One day I looked into the mirror and asked God for help and vowed to myself that I would not sink any lower. From that day to this, I’ve been on a journey of self-love and self-care, which emanates from finding each broken piece of myself and restoring myself to wholeness.
What is your “WHY” behind what you do? What fuels you?
I’m motivated to share my dramatic story of over a 20 year downward spiral, due to untreated PTSD and Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) and how I rose out of the ashes and regained each broken piece of myself because I feel my story is very relevant today. I hope that many women will read my memoir and gain hope and strength to ‘never give up’.
Sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about a mistake or failure which you now appreciate has taught you a valuable lesson?
My ‘mistake’ was not telling anyone about the sexual assault I endured when I was just 16 years old by three boys. Since I did not confide in anyone, I received no treatment. Consequently, my life spiraled out of control for over 20 years. It’s important to let someone know, reach out for help and know it’s never your fault for any abuse you suffer.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Perseverance — The fact that I persevered through over two decades of a downward spiral is a testament to my perseverance.
Truth Seeker — I tried many different healing modalities, types of therapy, body work, and nutritional supplementation until I came up with a formulation that works so well that I take NO pharmaceutical drugs.
Empathic — I’ve learned that me being born as a empath means that I am more sensitive to energies, but I thought, in my past, that it meant that I was weak — my healing has shown me it is a strength, but it’s something that needs care and protection on a daily basis.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting new projects you are working on now? How do you think that will help people?
My blog — I’ve written a series of blog posts on PTSD. I believe that many, many women are suffering from untreated PTSD or Complex PTSD, so I think that my real-life experience with suffering from untreated C-PTSD and ultimately healing from it, will be most beneficial. In my articles I detail how important self-care and self-love are to holistically heal from PTSD.
I’m going to be speaking at the Association of Holistic Skincare Practitioners annual conference. This is an honor as I am not a licensed aesthetician, but the President and Founder has asked me to talk about When Birds Sing. I’ll be talking also about how Elina Organics aestheticians helped me heal trauma from my body (especially the heart/head) through their healing treatments.
OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview, about the interface between self-care and mental health. From where you stand personally or professionally, why are you so passionate about mental well-being?
After suffering from sexual assaults in my early teens; then enduring four long years of abuse from my ex-husband, my recovery from trauma and PTSD was critical for me to experience my true self. Simply put, without the work I’ve done on myself regarding my mental health, I would most likely be dead or in a mental institution.
Based on your research or experience, how exactly does self-care impact our mental wellness?
My experience/ belief is that when self-care acts emanate out of self-love, healing occurs on every level — mental, physical, spiritual, emotional. The key is how does one begin to love oneself after years of not doing so? This journey began, for me, with a long look in the mirror and vowing to myself to never let myself get that low again. That is when my self-love/self-care journey began.
Here is our primary question. Can you please share your “Top Five Selfcare Practices That Each Of Us Can Use To Improve Our Mental Wellness”?
Doing schema therapy (involves looking at life traps (schemas created by trauma) and re-parenting child parts. (Child parts will evolve sometimes which can lead to a calming effect in the body).
Eating organic, chemical free foods.
Daily body movement e.g., pool work (calms nervous system).
I practice gyrokinesis (‘wrings out’ tension and stress in the body by combining breathwork and spiraling body movements for calming the nervous system, muscle strengthening and stretching, range of motion and ‘taking up one’s entire space’).
Stair climbing. When I’m not in the pool, the gym or doing gyrokinesis, I’m climbing stairs in my building. It builds healthy muscles, joints and strengthens my heart.
Elliptical machine or rebounding (for lymphatic system).
Can you please share a few of the main roadblocks that prevent people from making better self-care choices? What would you suggest can be done to overcome those roadblocks?
I do not believe one can make lasting changes or get past roadblocks unless they ‘go underneath’ those roadblocks to discover the truth of themselves. Many people want an easy, fast solution to their ‘roadblocks’ and with that approach, when you’ve suffered from trauma, abuse, or sexual assault, the quick fix will not sustain over time.
Roadblocks:
Negative self-talk — I don’t have time; I don’t know how; I cannot do it.
Staying in victim mentality (blaming everyone else).
Comparing yourself to others (stay focused on your abilities and limitations).
How to Overcome Roadblocks:
Therapy (I prefer schema therapy).
Take responsibility for your life no matter how wronged you have been.
Therapy will help with this as well as #1. Comparing yourself to others is often due to feeling ‘less than or ‘not good enough’ which can happen from childhood or trauma.
In one sentence, what would you say to someone who doesn’t prioritize their mental well-being?
Not prioritizing your mental well-being could cost you your very life.
Thank you for all that great insight! Let’s start wrapping up. Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does this quote resonate with you so much?
Never Give Up — You Can do It!
The above quote means a great deal to me because I did not have a sense of who I was; therefore, I did not know what strengths I had.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? They might just see this, especially if we both tag them :-)
I am a big fan of Dr. Phil and his wife Robin. I would love to be on his show to talk about my book, When Birds Sing — My Journey from Trauma to Triumph (and maybe he could call Oprah so that my book could be featured in her book club).
I truly appreciate your time and valuable contribution. One last question. How can our readers best reach or follow you?
https://www.ariellespring.net/
https://www.instagram.com/ariellespringauthor/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083006238902
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100079499626459
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.
About The Interviewer: Maria Angelova, MBA is a disruptor, author, motivational speaker, body-mind expert, Pilates teacher and founder and CEO of Rebellious Intl. As a disruptor, Maria is on a mission to change the face of the wellness industry by shifting the self-care mindset for consumers and providers alike. As a mind-body coach, Maria’s superpower is alignment which helps clients create a strong body and a calm mind so they can live a life of freedom, happiness and fulfillment. Prior to founding Rebellious Intl, Maria was a Finance Director and a professional with 17+ years of progressive corporate experience in the Telecommunications, Finance, and Insurance industries. Born in Bulgaria, Maria moved to the United States in 1992. She graduated summa cum laude from both Georgia State University (MBA, Finance) and the University of Georgia (BBA, Finance). Maria’s favorite job is being a mom. Maria enjoys learning, coaching, creating authentic connections, working out, Latin dancing, traveling, and spending time with her tribe. To contact Maria, email her at angelova@rebellious-intl.com. To schedule a free consultation, click here.
