Monday, February 10, 2025

Goodbye, 2024. Hello, 2025

Feed your soul this year and see where it leads you. I promise you it will be an adventure worth taking

By Quentin Steen, Representative/BC Member Education Coordinator

As I look back belatedly on 2024, it was a year of many things—the great, the good, the not-so-good, and, yes, the painful. Life seems to have a way of weaving all of these elements together, but wouldn’t it be nice to skip over the painful bits?

Pain is never pleasant, but it does have its place. It often serves as a catalyst for change, an insistent nudge to confront the things holding us back from where we could be—if only.

If only what? What will it take this year to stop avoiding those painful things?

The not-so-nice stuff that keeps us up at night, fuels our unhealthy coping mechanisms, whispers lies into our minds, isolates us from the compassion of others, and continues to exert its grip in ways we’d rather not admit.

If you’re anything like me, it’s easy to find a reason to retreat, to rationalize why we avoid what needs addressing. But sometimes life doesn’t let you off the hook.

The latter part of 2024 delivered a wake-up call for me. Without delving too deeply into the specifics, I found myself taking a six-week mental health leave of absence. It wasn’t something I wanted to do, but it became something I had to do.

My colleagues, recognizing what I couldn’t (or wouldn’t) acknowledge, stepped in. As a mental health instructor, I was reluctant to admit I needed help, grappling with the stigma I had attached to the idea.

Yet they saw what I couldn’t and gave me the nudge I so desperately needed. Not only did they lead me to the proverbial water, but they made sure I drank deeply from it.

And drink I did. My soul was parched in ways I hadn’t realized but that everyone else had.

During that time, I explored themes and questions—some intentionally, others unexpectedly. Each discovery had a singular purpose: to support my well-being and nurture my authentic, wiser self. It was a journey of renewal and reckoning, and it taught me lessons I hope to carry forward.

To be honest, my first knee-jerk internal reaction was to apologize for letting my colleagues down. But that’s northing more than a brooding thought that doesn’t serve anyone other than stigma itself. So, I think that the better response is to just say thank you . . . for your support and courage to show up in my space when I couldn’t.

A month into 2025, I’m inspired to align our Monthly Mental Health Moments with these discoveries. My hope is that they resonate with you and provide nourishment for your own soul.

Feed your soul this year and see where it leads you. I can promise you this: it will be an adventure worth taking.

And if you’re fortunate enough to have a loving, caring community around you, lean into it. I’m grateful for mine and the strength they gave me when I couldn’t find it within myself.

Let’s make 2025 a year of growth, exploration, and nourishment for the soul.

Quentin Steen is a certified mental health first aid instructor for the Mental Health Commission of Canada.

Get your BRAIN right and your MIND will follow!

3 Mental Health Resources to Help You

If you or someone you know is struggling with a mental health issue, CLAC has a number of resources and interactive tools available to help you at My Health and Wellness.
Stronger Minds features videos and quick reads from mental health experts, activities to help you gain resilience, and ask-an-expert videos in response to questions.
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) provides accessible, reliable, and professionally produced resources on an array of health topics including (but not limited to): addictions, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, depression, etc.

Goodbye, 2024. Hello, 2025

3 Mental Health Resources to Help You

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