by Alex Forte & Jess Santora-Sikorski
Ep. 20: Doing Good Things for your Mental Health w/ Jess Santora-Sikorski
How do you battle the “Big Sad” (Seasonal Depression)? On our latest episode of Dirty Kitten Radio "Cat Chat" Alex & Jess discuss Doing Good Things for Your Mental Health and how daily activity can help to manage depression & anxiety…especially this time of year.
Jess is an 8th grade Math Teacher, St. Jude Hero, Mid-Atlantic Gravel, Travel, & Dirt (MAGTD) Podcaster, DKR Guest Rider, Influencer, and Hype-Girl. She participated in field hockey, softball, marching band, and theater then started running and cycling later in life. Jess considers herself a "plus-size athlete" and uses her platform for change. She endeavors to encourage others to have fun and do good things for themselves through physical activity.
Jess talks openly about her mental health struggles with depression, anxiety, and an eating disorder. Her primary motto is “Do Good Things for Your Mental Health”. She posts regular videos to her social media pages encouraging others to "persevere through problems” and "work through the suck” as she also strives to do so herself on a daily basis (follow Jess - @jess_santora).
“My anxiety is kind of my super power," says Jess. She has worked hard to get to a place where she can take control of her mental health, but it isn't always an easy path especially this time of year when seasonal depression hits hard. However, she has built a supportive community of folks to lift her up during these hard times.
“I want to be part of a group that helps and includes people," says Jess about her work with St. Jude, Mid-Atlantic Gravel Travel & Dirt, and Dirty Kitten Racing. To hear more, listen to DKR Cat Chat Episode #20: Doing Good Things for Your Mental Health on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
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