Share this with someone who needs it
Follow Jonathan Arenburg
For thoughtful conversations about mental health, modern life, human biology, and what it means to stay connected in a disconnected world.
We all need something that keeps us grounded—something that gives our day meaning. In Find Your Thing: The Power of Purpose in Healing, I explore how having even one small focus can help calm anxiety, lift depression, and bring structure back to a chaotic mind. Whether it’s writing, walking, painting, or simply brewing coffee with intention, finding your “thing” can transform how you live with—and heal through—mental illness.
From the moment my eyes open in the morning to greet a new day, my thoughts automatically turn to my passion—writing and all things blog-related. And this is unquestionably a great thing.
In my case, where my mind still re-suffers from the mess left years ago in the fire service—in the form of nightmares and sleeplessness—there’s nothing better for me than this, what I call a healthy distraction.
It’s good for me because it instantly redirects my brain into creative mode. Without that redirection, if I didn’t start my day sipping coffee while thinking up my next blog post, anxiety would likely tackle me and hold me down in its grip for the rest of the day.
If I were a dead battery, writing and creating would be the boost I need to start the morning in a positive direction.
An Anxiety Disorder Could Save Your Life
Anxiety sucks—but sometimes, it can save your life. Hyper-awareness, gut instincts, and pre-planning aren’t just symptoms—they’re survival tools. Here’s how my anxiety became a hidden strength.
Read: https://bit.ly/42g3Dab
💥 #MentalHealth #PTSD #Anxiety #SurvivalMindset #blog
Keep reading
Writing as a Healthy Distraction
My writing usually comes to life after days of thinking about a particular subject. Like most things in modern life, these thoughts often connect back to how our culture affects mental wellness.
Whatever obsesses my headspace—politics, wealth inequality, or the impact of social media on mental health—I find an angle and write about it.
For instance, my regular readers know that one of my recurring themes is the importance of social connection.
That focus emerged when I began to notice how we’ve become like icebergs in the night, drifting apart from one another. As it turns out, the preference for isolation and hyper-independence is not only bad for mental health—it also harms our physical well-being. And I can’t forget that loneliness can shorten our life expectancy.
Where Inspiration Comes From
It’s at this intersection—where our biology meets our behavior—that I find my inspiration.
Learn More About Mental Health and the Brain
WIRED TO BE HUMAN
Jonathan Arenburg: Author, Speaker, Trained Counsellor explores Why the Modern World Feels Wrong—and What Evolution Says About Making It Right in his latest book. WIRED TO BE HUMAN.
I often ask myself: What are the real-world factors that influence our mental wellness, even when we don’t realize it?
When it comes to social connection, many have walked away from it, believing that “protecting their peace” is the best solution. But the truth is, this mindset often leaves people lonelier and more anxious.
There are pillars of mental well-being that simply work better than others. Unfortunately, we often end up doing the opposite of what actually helps us heal.
That’s why I talk about nuance almost as much as I do connection. Thirty-second clips and feel-good memes we accept as truth often lead us astray.
There’s more to mental health than meets the eye—and it’s time we start rejecting myths, questioning outdated information, and asking deeper questions like:
- What is my illness doing to me?
- What proven, scientific methods actually help?
Challenging Myths That Harm Healing
One of the most persistent and misleading myths out there is this: “Men never seek help for their mental health.”
While that may be true for some, the reality is changing. More and more men are seeking help for their struggles—and data supports this shift.
Yet, despite that progress, the old myth continues to spread across podcasts, memes, and viral clips.
Outdated information is more dangerous than most people realize. When it shows up in our social feeds every day, it shapes how we see the world—and ourselves.
That’s part of why I write. Not only to work through my own stress and frustration, but to help reshape the narrative. If we can challenge misinformation, maybe we can ease the collective anxiety weighing on us all—even if that improvement is small, it’s still a move in the right direction.
Why Purpose Matters
If I didn’t have writing as an outlet—or a reason to get out of bed each morning—it would do real damage to my mental health.
Without structure or purpose, I’d likely:
- Marinate in my mental illnesses—they’d have a constant hold over me.
- Spend more time in bed.
- Stop going to the gym.
- Disconnect from my real-world social network.
- Descend further into chaos.
So you see, the simple act of having structure and purpose—something that channels my obsessive thinking into creation—keeps me from being consumed by depression, anxiety, and trauma. Without it, I’d be trapped in the confines of my small 1940s-style apartment.
The Point
If you’re a mess—and we all get there sometimes—find something healty to fixate on in the mornings.
Go for a walk, paint for a while, read, practice yoga—anything that brings you focus and direction.
You may find that it quiets the noise in your head just enough to start building a life around your mental illness, instead of letting your mental illness build a cage around you.
I’m rooting for you.
— Jonathan
About the Author
Jonathan Arenburg is a Canadian author, speaker, and trained counsellor exploring how modern life clashes with our biology—shaping anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
Learn More
Join the conversation
If this resonated—or challenged you—I’d genuinely like to hear your perspective. Thoughtful disagreement and lived experience are welcome.
Scroll down to the comments below. Please keep it respectful—this is a space for honest, human conversation.