Meet Grace Gaustad
Grace Gaustad is a singer and songwriter who rose to fame at the age 15 when her performance of “Take Me to Church” went viral. She released her debut album, BlKBX, in 2021. In it, she addresses her experiences growing up as part of the LGBTQ+ community and the bullying she endured in school. She’s released several singles in 2022.
Why Grace Gaustad Is Mentally Strong
Grace was bullied throughout school. But rather than set out to show her former bullies how successful she is now, she focuses on helping other young people who are struggling. She started a website to help people who also feel alone. She teamed up with a licensed mental health professional to provide resources and information to anyone who might be having a hard time.
What You’ll Hear on the Show
Why Grace started going to counseling as a child How Grace’s parents recognized she had anxiety Grace’s experiences being bullied How being bullied impacted her mental health Why she’s so invested in helping other people who feel all alone The unhealthy things her depression tries to convince her to do The coping skills she uses to improve her mental health How music can improve your mental health The self-destructive habits we sometimes engage in when our mental health is suffering Why you should treat your mental health the same way you treat your physical health
What You’ll Learn About Mental Health and Mental Strength
Grace talks about how her mental health influences her thoughts, feelings, and behavior. And she recognizes that when her mental health is suffering, she isn’t thinking clearly. It also means that you are willing to push yourself to do things you don’t feel like doing because you trust that healthy behavior might improve your mental health. You can’t prevent all mental health problems. But you can choose how you take care of yourself and what you decide to do about your mental health.
Quotes From Grace
“I think often we find solitude and peace within music. It gives us a place to express our emotions. It gives us a place to be vulnerable.” “It’s easy to feel alone, but if you actually look at what you’re going through, the odds are that if you’re going through it, there are thousands and thousands of other people who are going through the exact same thing. You just have to find that community.” “If you’ve gone through something hard, my mom always says ’the only way out is through.’ You just have to power through it. Once you’re on the other side of it, I think you can look back and think about how to turn it into something that can be useful for others.” “When you’re in that space where you’re feeling very alone, it’s very easy to isolate yourself further and you don’t even really realize you’re doing it.” “You’ve got to be aware that when you’re in that bad space, you’re going to do things that are actually self-destructive as opposed to helpful. A lot of times you don’t realize you’re doing self-destructive things until you’re on the other side of it.” “I always tell people who maybe don’t have a great understanding of mental health is they have to think of it exactly like a physical injury. It takes time. You have to heal it. You have to take certain steps to make sure you don’t re-injure yourself again. It’s a process forever.”
More About the Podcast
The Verywell Mind Podcast is available across all streaming platforms. If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Reviews and ratings are a great way to encourage other people to listen and help them prioritize their mental health too. If You Liked This Episode, You Might Also Like These Episodes
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