According to a 2023 Cigna International Health study, 91% of Gen Zers report higher stress levels than other generations. Behavior change and stress management coach Johanna Taylor asserts that this is true for Jamaicans as well.
talk to The Gleaner She explained: “There's a lot of research that shows this, but it could be a lot of different things. It comes from a space where we're working almost 24/7. With the development of technology, we're like, we're getting emails. became [hours] we are always connected. [Sometimes] It becomes almost embarrassing to want to maintain a certain distance. ”
Recognizing the harmful patterns in her own life, Taylor became committed to helping others combat stress.
“I happened to be diagnosed with chronic depression. This was in college, and it was very strange for me because I'm usually very happy-go-lucky until I get depressed.”
After asking the all-too-common question, “Why am I so stressed out?”, Taylor said she had to look at her life.
“I noticed two things happening,” she began. “For one thing, I was stressed out because I had so many deadlines. [I] It had to be a hit and the relationship went into a terrible mess.I realized that a lot of things were happening [at once]. It was unbalanced and chaotic. ”
Deciding to take a step back from her job at Corporate Jamaica, she began prioritizing her “me time.”
Now spending a lot of time on yoga, fitness, meditation, and mindfulness, Taylor immediately felt an obligation to share what she was learning.
“There has to be a way to marry this and share this because people really need this,” she recalled.
“By 2019, I officially said, 'I'm not going to do this anymore,' and by that time I had decided, 'Okay, I'm going to fully immerse myself in this.' I really wanted to help people heal because I know that. Can you imagine who else really feels this? Because the emotional and social demands are constant. I just wanted to help people make healthier choices a higher priority.”
Under the banner “I Am TaylorMade,” Taylor uses both her psychology degree and the skills she's acquired over the years to help others develop healthier habits.
“I think you need to find moments to breathe. It seems so simple, but you need to find moments to slow down and catch your breath. The science behind it is that just slowing down and breathing can calm your mind. We need to be able to breathe deeply because this can send messages to our brains to relax.”
shanel.lemmie@gleanerjm.com
