Asian History Month & Mental Health Tips – with Trisha Enriquez

In recognition of Asian Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month, I am so excited to have Trisha Enriquez share her insights on mental health awareness along with how she celebrates her Philippine culture. She is a Toronto Native with over 15 years’ experience in the Health and Fitness Industry. Before I go into it, I like to share how I’ve met my featured guests and the relationship that I have with them.

I met Trisha way back when at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE). She was with her family, and I was with my boys. I approached her because I recognized her from Instagram. We chatted and then connected through the “gram”. Somehow, we found out that we both were working at the same company. Oddly, we never crossed paths because we worked in different departments. And now, well, we see each other on the regular via social media. Now let’s get to her feature.

First off, tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am a digital content creator who started blogging while on maternity leave with my then-infant daughter Harper. I recently left my corporate job to continue exercising my blogging skills full-time and thrived on connecting with like-minded women on the topics of motherhood, health and fitness. As a Human Biology graduate from the University of Toronto and years of experience working in the health industry, I felt drawn to the human anatomy and physiology, so decided to get certified as a pre- and post-natal fitness specialist. Over seven years, seven platforms, one magazine cover and two daughters later I proudly continue to share my journey as an active mom of two, promoting a well-balanced, healthy and positive lifestyle with my online community. Last year I launched a social media management agency (reallysocial.ca) and most recently, revamped my podcast, Yours Truly, Trisha.

What does Asian Heritage Month mean to you?

It’s a great reminder for me to stay connected to my roots and a reminder to proudly share my culture openly with others. It’s also a time to dedicate to sitting with my family to celebrate our heritage together whether it be through food, song, dance, or history.

What brings you joy about your heritage and culture?

I love that Philippine culture and heritage is so strongly built on family and connection.

What can others do to celebrate or recognize Asian Heritage Month?

People can take the time to learn more about Asian Heritage Month. They can speak to friends or colleagues and ask them to share stories or people can attend events to celebrate Asian Heritage month.

Now let’s talk about mental health within the Asian communities.  For many Asian people, stigma regarding mental health contributes to a hesitancy to discuss the issue. Mental health is taboo and you are considered weak if you talk about it. Over the last 3 years, programs and services have been made available for Asian communities and there has been an increase in the usage of services.  But, there is still work to be done to break down the stigma.

How do you care for your own mental health?

Nurturing my mental health is a priority to me. I ensure I dedicate time to physical activity daily (workouts are non-negotiable and scheduled in my calendar like a meeting with a client). I practice gratitude through journaling every morning and listen to guided meditations whenever I feel the need. 

When Toronto was placed under lockdown to reduce the spread of COVID 19, I remember Harper would hold daily morning meditation sessions through IG live.  Tell me the story behind this and why it was important to you.

Meditation is an important part of our family routine and we saw how it helped us connect and stay calm and grounded. When we were home for months, we wanted to share our meditations with others so that they too could benefit from such a simple activity. Harper shared a mini mediation in hopes to ease people’s mind during a time of stress (the pandemic). It was so well received, she ended hosting a live meditation weekly.

Are there any additional techniques that you would recommend?

I would recommend starting your day with simply just writing down 3 things you are grateful for and setting one positive affirmation for yourself for the day. I find this small activity can make a big impact on the day ahead.

So, where can readers get more information and find more about you? – You can find me on IG at @trishaenriquez or my blog: trishaenriquez.com. You can also learn more about my social media management company @reallysocial.ca on www.reallysocial.ca. And if you want to hear a different side of my life, head to my podcast Yours Truly, Trisha.

Salamat (Thank You) Trisha for providing valuable tips on mental health and sharing with us about the Philippine culture. It’s so crazy how we worked at the same company for years but never worked on any cross functional projects together. And years later, we’re working together collaboratively, having revamped my website with the Really Social team, being a guest on Yours Truly, Trisha podcast and a client testimonial on your blog after completing your NTM program. I am so happy that I can share with my community the work you’re doing.

Until the next feature,

ShineLily XO