Mark Herz: This is Morning Edition. It’s the first Wednesday of the month, and that means it’s time for Wake Up Well, the monthly mental health series brought to us by GBH is Paris Alston. For the past 12 months, the series has touched on everything from relationships and finances to anxiety around climate change and politics. As we round out the year, Paris checked back in with Nieisha Deed, founder of the wellness platform PureSpark and our community partner for the series. And a reminder that this is not a substitute for treatment.

Paris Alston: Nieisha, thanks so much for being here. It’s so good to see you.

Nieisha Deed: Thank you for having me. It feels good to be back.

Alston: So this has really been a wonderful year, diving into all of these different mental health topics. What have been some of the biggest highlights of reflections for you?

Deed: Well, I think overall, I’m so grateful for the opportunity to normalize the conversation around mental health because it’s so stigmatized in all communities, right? And the more we talk about it, the more we normalize it, I think the more people can get the help that they need — and/or they can start to identify some of the things like, wait, I heard this conversation around anxiety. I think that that might be what’s coming up for me right now. And here are some ways that I might be able to cope with it and/or talk about it.

Alston: We are obviously in a high-stress time of the year in the midst of the holiday season, and the new year is upon us. We also are going to be entering a change in our federal government with the presidential administration. What usually comes up for you?

Deed: We talked about this on our platform, PureSpark’s social media platform. What comes up a lot for me is seasonal affective disorder because it affects so many people that I love. And one of the things that I think it’s important for us to do is to keep in mind what we have control over, right? And there’s a couple of things that we can do to kind of deal with some of these things that come around in this season, whether it be anxiety about what’s going to happen next year, whether it be, oh my goodness, you know, I have to, you know, pay for all these different gifts. And it’s like, let’s be realistic in what’s in our circle of control to make sure that we’re taking care of ourselves through this. And so for me, you know, today is such a beautiful day. Getting outside and getting extra sunlight so that I can kind of deal with the fact that there’s less and less sun going into the winter season.

Alston: Let me ask you, how do you feel about New Year’s resolutions? Because for me, it brings a lot of anxiety because it’s like, oh my God, I signing up to do this thing. And actually having a whole year to try to accomplish it is really intimidating for me.

Deed: I don’t do those. I don’t subscribe to New Year’s resolutions because I think at any point in your life you can make a decision to change. Why are we waiting until the end of the year or the beginning of the year to say, okay, I’m going to change? No. Like every new day is a new opportunity to change. You know, if that’s your jam, if that works for you, do that. You know what I’m saying? But don’t feel like you have to.

Alston: So Nieisha, headed into the new year, all the work we’ve done on Wake Up Well, where do you hope it goes from here? And how do you hope people continue the practices that we have discussed?

Deed: First of all, I hope that listeners share this with loved ones because this is only as powerful as the reach it can get. So if you hear something, if you see something that you like, please share with your loved ones so that they can get the message too, and/or talk about this around the dinner table. But also, you know, interact. Like, what are some of the things that y’all want to hear? Because, you know, there’s tons of things to talk about when it comes to mental health, there’s so many.

Alston: So, of course, Nieisha, we have asked everyone we’ve had on as part of the series, yourself included, to leave us with an affirmation. What’s one you can give folks as we change from one year to the next?

Deed: I will love myself.

Alston: And the conversation will not end here. That is Nieisha Deed, who leads the mental health and wellness platform PureSpark. Nieisha, this has been such a fun journey with you and we’re only getting started. So thank you.

Deed: Thank you for having me.

Herz: That was GBH's Paris Alston bringing us the latest installment of Wake Up Well. For more about the series, including ways to engage and a list of mental health resources, you can head to GBHNews.org/WakeUpWell. This is GBH News.

For the past 12 months, GBH News’ Wake Up Well series has touched on everything from relationships and finances to anxiety around climate change and politics.

As we round out the year, we checked back in with Nieisha Deed, founder of the wellness platform PureSpark and our community partner for the series.

“I’m so grateful for the opportunity to normalize the conversation around mental health because it’s so stigmatized in all communities,” Deed said. “And the more we talk about it, the more we normalize it, I think the more people can get the help that they need.”

While the Wake Up Well series is not a substitute for professional treatment, Deed said she hopes some people can recognize themselves in the conversations.

In recent days she’s been starting conversations on PureSpark’s social media platforms about how people are dealing with end-of-year stressors: seasonal affective disorder, financial pressure that comes with the holidays, as well as changes that will come with a new presidential administration.

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“One of the things that I think it’s important for us to do is to keep in mind what we have control over,” Deed said. “Let’s be realistic in what’s in our circle of control to make sure that we’re taking care of ourselves through this. And so for me, you know, today is such a beautiful day. Getting outside and getting extra sunlight so that I can kind of deal with the fact that there’s less and less sun going into the winter season.”

There’s also the looming New Year, which for some people means setting resolutions.

“I don’t subscribe to New Year’s resolutions,” Deed said. “Why are we waiting until the end of the year or the beginning of the year to say, 'OK, I’m going to change.’ No. Every new day is a new opportunity to change. You know, if that’s your jam, if that works for you, do that. You know what I’m saying? But don’t feel like you have to.”

If you’ve found any part of the series helpful, Deed recommended sharing it with someone it might resonate with.

“If you hear something, if you see something that you like, please share with your loved ones so that they can get the message too,” Deed said. “But also: Interact. What are some of the things that y’all want to hear? Because, there’s tons of things to talk about when it comes to mental health.”

Like every guest in the Wake Up Well series, Deed left us with an affirmation. It’s not a resolution, but it is a promise for the year ahead: “I will love myself.”