Hello hello, creative humans, today I am writing to you from my dining room table. I have a decaf latte to my right, a candle burning in front of me, and my french press full of more decaf coffee is sitting just off to my left. The chair cushion beneath me feels supportive, and my toes are touching the floor with my legs crossed at the ankles. My day is packed full of to-dos so in addition to noticing my environment I am making sure to check in with my emotions on a regular basis, ensuring I am grounded, supported, and well hydrated.

As I take a moment to pause and notice my inner and outer worlds, I encourage you to do the same. Notice the colors within your world, the way the objects around you are placed, where light hits, and where shadows fall. Notice the textures of what is holding you and what is around you. Notice how your body feels in your chair today, how your heart feels, if there are any tender or tense spaces in your being. Not judging what you see and are experiencing, simply noticing it. Allowing it. Honor it with your brief attention and presence. This is a practice of freedom that you can utilize at any time. A practice to attune to your space, and come home to your power.

Today, we are jumping back into our discussions on Dominant Dogma by talking about the narrative that shares “You can’t afford support.” This is a narrative that typically manifests internally due to external realities where support can be difficult to access. However, it’s not always true. 

Before you click off, frustrated by my seeming dismissal of the financial disparity when it comes to accessing the support you need, stick with me for just a minute.

On this podcast we hold the both and, and part of living our freedom now, means allowing room for that. 

YES, getting the support you need can be very expensive, and also, it doesn’t have to be. In today’s episode we are going to break down why the Dominant Dogma that says it IS expensive exists, the freedom on the other side, 5 Steps to Cultivate Your Unique Support System, and my #1 recommended tool for FREE support.

Let’s begin:

According to an article by Harvard Medical School Primary Care Review, since the beginning of 2020 mental health difficulties are up over 300%. 300%! In addition to that, prior to the pandemic it was stated that 1 in 5 humans struggled with their mental health. With statistics such as these, one would think it would be top priority to make mental health support, and other forms of support, more accessible. However, this disparity is complex to mitigate in the system of late stage capitalism we’re currently functioning from.

One aspect of this conversation is how limited support services are. 

In order to survive and maintain their own wellbeing, therapists and those offering mental health and support services of varying kinds are increasing their prices, not taking insurance, and limiting their client loads. 

Therapists are opting out of taking insurance for a number of reasons including: 

1 – Making the money they need to live. Sadly, therapists who take insurance often find themselves waitlisted, underpaid, buried in student loans, burnt out, and as such, providing lesser quality care. This is where we are seeing more therapists opt out of taking insurance, and for many they are also seeking to expand their practice across state lines by offering coaching services.

2 – The freedom to run their practice as they see fit. Rather than having insurance companies push them for speed in their client results and requiring a diagnosis (which often a mental health diagnosis can follow a person throughout their entire life), many therapists prefer being free from the oversight of insurance companies so they can actually run their practice in a way they see as integral.

Each of these reasons are so valid for therapists living under late stage capitalism, and they are a large reason of why the Dominant Dogma that says, “you can’t afford support” exists in the U.S.A. specifically. 

But what does that mean for the humans needing support? While I am unable to go in-depth for humans needing extensive care in this episode, I can speak to those needing a boost of support in a world not built to provide it, because the Freedom on the other side of this Dominant Dogma is that: you can cultivate support.

The Freedom on the other side: You can cultivate support

The fact is, support, whether it is mental health support, mindset support, financial support, even some physical and somatic support, can be found in so many places.

These days there are:

• Youtube channels offering free practices and education
• Tiktok accounts that can provide some level of validation for your experience
• Blogs with tips and tricks 
• Free tools on many coaches and therapists websites
• Support groups on apps like Meetup, and at local libraries or organizations
• The ability to develop friendship support on social media then keep up via apps like Voxer or Signal
• Coaches at varying levels of accessibility
• Therapists at varying levels of accessibility

And while many of these are online, there is always the freedom to bring things offline by asking to meet many of the humans creating these tools and resources. Not everyone will say yes, but there is no harm in asking.

With all these options in mind, how do you actually take what is available and curate a unique support system that works? 

5 Steps To Craft Your Support System

1. Get REALLY clear on what you need:
   Over the past four weeks as I’ve adjusted to a new season of life, moving to Washington D.C. temporarily, then preparing for grad school and moving to California, I have had to re-evaluate my support system. I sat down with myself and journaled out everything I need for support: clean water, daily walks, time to rest, healthy food,  someone to talk to, fresh air, hobbies and time for play, enough work to support my needs, I wrote it ALL down.
   
2. Get clear on what you want:
   For me, sometimes what I need and what I want can overlap such as: When it comes to my time for hobbies and play, I really want to continue working with my voice coach. This is a relatively *pricy* want, and pending my financial situation it can be cut, but it would really support my long term desires and my free expression. Additionally, I want to work with my favorite business coach. This is not *needed* however, it tends to lend itself to more money coming into my business and thus an increase in my monthly paycheck. On this *want* list you can dream as big as you want and you can weed out what is actually feasible in the next step.
   
3. Based on your *needs* lists, write down do-able solutions to help meet your needs.
   For me, here in D.C. the water (along with other things) tends to give me migraines, so a solution to help meet my need for clean water was a counter top water filter. This is a *NEED* so it went at the top of my list for financial investment. Fresh air is another need for me, however in the middle of the city it’s hard to really get my fill of this so to meet this need I do my best to get out of the city at least 1x each week (and I seek to integrate laughter with friends and family at the same time!). Sometimes you may find yourself needing to get creative to meet your needs, but this is where you get to cultivate a unique support system crafted for YOU.
   
4. Based on your *wants* lists, write down do-able solutions to help meet your desires.
   Notice what you want, how you can meet that desire, if you can meet that desire, and what creative solutions you can come up with to support those desires.
   
5. Take action! Now that you KNOW your support system, live it out!
   If other people such as coaches or therapists are within your support system, reach out, get them booked and on your calendar. If friends or a group is on your list, reach out, check in and ensure this is something they are up for. For everything that does not require others, I have a list in Notion that shares all of my needs and what meets those needs so I can easily integrate those things and remember them at a glance. I also take time to plan out my day the night before crafting a check-list that incorporates the supports I need.

And that is how you cultivate your support system! You can utilize these five steps at anytime, and I recommend whenever you notice you DON’T feel supported, take a look at these lists, notice what is missing, and see how you can cultivate a more supportive personal ecosystem. 

Lastly, before we close this episode I want to offer one more FREE option for support, and this is my #1 support recommendation that has been shown to help mindset, anxiety, depression, PTSD, loneliness, overwhelm, and more!

Nature!

Spending quality and mindful time in and with nature is a form of EcoTherapy and it’s something you can do alongside a guide, or on your own…completely FREE! 

This can look like: 

• Getting your feet in the dirt
• Talking to and attuning to the plants in your home
• Walking to a local park and self-facilitating a practice like the environment scan I start every episode with
• Or listening to a nature based meditation! And this is something I can help you with!

On my website I have a FREE brand new EcoTherapy Meditation and journal guide that you can use as you cultivate your unique support system. This specific meditation was crafted to help you release unsupportive conditioning, calm your nervous system, and reclaim personal power.

Over seventy incredible humans have already downloaded this free meditation and here is what one human shared with me last week:

“I’m new to meditation and this was a great place to start. It helped me get to places in my mind that I don’t usually access. I have used it a few times and each time I came away with something new. Megs has such a soothing voice and the visualization was powerful.”

You can learn more about EcoTherapy and access the meditation at my website: megscolleen.com

And that is what I want to leave you with today! Love, I get that figuring out your support system can feel overwhelming, but I hope todays episode helps remind you that support can be accessible, your dreams for support and for freedom are possible, and I am 100% cheering you on.

If you listened in to today’s episode, I would love to know! Tag me on instagram @megscolleen or shoot me a dm and fill me in on how this episode landed with you! Additionally, if you want support on your Freedom Journey I would love to invite you into a one-on-one coaching series.

If deep in your spirit you want to feel empowered, share your creativity, live with freedom, and finally feel joyful again, then you’re in the right place! My goal is to help you integrate the parts of you feeling afraid and unsupported, hand back the outdated cultural stories, and guide you to rise as the deeply, wildly, and holistically free human you already are.

This is your time to embody the freedom you crave.

Your next step: Book a FREE Clarity Call with me at megscolleen.com! I hope to see you on a call soon!

Freedom is yours, 

Megan