The transition to a career can bring uncertainty, stress and upheaval, making it a crucial time to prioritize your mental wellness \u2013 and seek help if you notice your mental health is declining.<\/p>\n
On Nov. 15, FIU hosted a panel discussion on balancing mental health and career goals in demanding industries such as entrepreneurship, entertainment and hospitality. It featured successful local entrepreneurs, a licensed mental health counselor, alumni and a celebrity.<\/p>\n
The event was presented by FIU Student Health and Wellness in partnership with Florida Power & Light, FIU Student Access and Success, and FIU Alumni; and it was organized and moderated by FIU Trustee Chanel Rowe JD \u201914, who is founder and managing partner at Uriel Law.<\/p>\n
The panelists shared this advice:<\/p>\n
Lamman Rucker, an actor known for hit television series like\u00a0Greenleaf<\/em>\u00a0and an educator, activist and entrepreneur, reminded students that when you\u2019re down on your luck or you\u2019re not feeling like yourself, you have a support system all around you \u2013 whether it be family, friends, a mentor, a professor, a religious organization, or a wellness service provided by the university.<\/p>\n Rucker said that throughout his life, he has sought support from his own community, including his \u201cmany dads\u201d \u2013 father-like figures who, in addition to his own father, played significant roles in his upbringing. He has also been a source of support for loved ones, such as his godchildren, whom he looked after while their parents were working or going to school.<\/p>\n \u201cLean into your community. Lean into those who love you and who can support you,\u201d Rucker said.<\/p>\n Jeff Rocker, Ph.D., a licensed mental health counselor and celebrity therapist, assured students that therapy is a safe space, and it\u2019s open to everyone.<\/p>\n \u201cYou will\u00a0not<\/em>\u00a0be judged by a therapist\u2026 we\u2019re going to help you find the best answer for you and help you achieve it,\u201d Rocker said, later adding, \u201cYou can\u2019t be helped if you don\u2019t speak up, and to speak up, you have to be vulnerable. There are people who look like you and who think like you, who want to help you.\u201d<\/p>\n Alexis Brown, chief experience officer of Miami-based events and marketing agency SocialXchange, encouraged students to prioritize self-care and to understand that your self-care needs change as you age. When you\u2019re young, self-care may look like a night out laughing and dancing with friends; but later in life, self-care might mean focusing on your emotional wellness, setting boundaries and creating safe spaces.<\/p>\n For her, balancing self-care and a career in hospitality means prioritizing physical wellness, staying organized and keeping a calendar. No matter what your routine looks like, Brown says self-discipline is key to your success.<\/p>\n \u201cDiscipline in itself is a form of self-care. Love yourself enough to be consistent,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n Gaston Rossato \u201908, alumnus and founder of The Barn Miami, a classic and exotic auto boutique, shared it\u2019s important not to dwell too much if you find yourself thrown off the planned course. He emphasized that resilience, open-mindedness and the ability to pivot will help keep your spirits up.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes we think about things a little too much, and we plan too much ahead… For a long time, I thought it was a weakness to dive into things without thinking too much. But I think in the long term, I\u2019ve realized it\u2019s probably a strength to listen to your gut,\u201d Rossato said.<\/p>\n FIU Student Health and Wellness<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0offers a variety of services to support mental well-being, including\u00a0<\/strong>Counseling and Psychological Services<\/strong><\/a>, online self-help platforms, and more. These services are funded by the university health fee and are available to enrolled students at no additional cost. Learn more or schedule an appointment\u00a0<\/strong>online<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The transition to a career can bring uncertainty, stress and upheaval, making it a crucial time to prioritize your mental wellness \u2013 and seek help if you notice your mental health is declining. On Nov. 15, FIU hosted a panel discussion on balancing mental health and career goals in demanding industries such as entrepreneurship, entertainment […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":16258,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[195],"tags":[453,388,12,457],"class_list":["post-16257","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career-development","tag-alumni","tag-entrepreneurship","tag-fiu-alumni","tag-student-success"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fiualumni.com\/stay-connected\/alumni-news\/newsroom\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16257"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fiualumni.com\/stay-connected\/alumni-news\/newsroom\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fiualumni.com\/stay-connected\/alumni-news\/newsroom\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fiualumni.com\/stay-connected\/alumni-news\/newsroom\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fiualumni.com\/stay-connected\/alumni-news\/newsroom\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16257"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/fiualumni.com\/stay-connected\/alumni-news\/newsroom\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16257\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16265,"href":"https:\/\/fiualumni.com\/stay-connected\/alumni-news\/newsroom\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16257\/revisions\/16265"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fiualumni.com\/stay-connected\/alumni-news\/newsroom\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16258"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fiualumni.com\/stay-connected\/alumni-news\/newsroom\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16257"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fiualumni.com\/stay-connected\/alumni-news\/newsroom\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16257"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fiualumni.com\/stay-connected\/alumni-news\/newsroom\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16257"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Remember that therapy is a judgment-free zone.<\/h3>\n
Prioritize self-care.<\/h3>\n
Keep an open mind.<\/h3>\n