Hi, I'm Erika!
​I like . . .

Traveling & exploring

I have traveled to 18 states and 18 countries on 4 different continents!

Hiking & camping

I grew up in the forest and have always loved being outdoors!

Doing fun things!

Like riding old carousels during a swing dance weekend! 

Welcome to In Search of Better!

This is where I write down all my ideas and thoughts about mental health and life improvement in general. It's a work in progress, just like me!

I want to make anxiety and depression okay to talk about. I never told anyone what I was going through for so many years because I wanted to maintain the illusion that I was doing okay, and this led to years of PTSD symptoms from an ill-advised first relationship, heavy depression during an emotionally abusive marriage (you may notice a theme here), and bad anxiety.

So much could have been avoided or at least stopped sooner if I had felt able to share what was going on. If it's okay to talk about the struggles we're going through, without being judged, then we can actually learn to understand ourselves and our behaviors and that is the key to getting better!

​I assume that you are a lot like me; you just want to be happy in your own skin and actually enjoy your life.

​​Well, welcome aboard! We're all on the same journey. :)

"If you don't like where you are, move.
​You are not a tree.”

-Unknown

Something I believe in with all my heart is that we should listen to our gut.

Not when it's all knotted with anxiety for no reason, but when you think about doing something (like taking a dance class, or saying hi to that cute stranger in the coffee shop, or going skydiving) and you feel a mix of terror and excitement.

​That means that you really want to do it, and you should definitely just go for it. It makes you grow, learn, and get amazing memories!

Some cool things I've gotten to do because of thinking this way:

  • swimming with piranhas in the Amazon river
  • ​starting my own business
  • riding among the pyramids
  • studying massage therapy in Brazil
  • living in five different countries and three states
  • taking in the view of Paris from the Eiffel Tower at midnight​
  • completing eight obstacle races
  • working as a zip line instructor even though I was scared of heights (not anymore!)
  • Learning to dance east coast swing and blues (and finding an amazing community to belong with!)
I'm a big believer in challenging myself to do things I'm scared of. This is when I went white water rafting
​in Sweden by myself in 2014 (inadvertently crashing a bachelor party). You can't tell from the picture, but I was absolutely terrified!
I think that life is about actually living it and experiencing amazing things. This can be so hard to do though if you struggle with anxiety or depression or just can't seem to break out of your shell.

So my approach is two-fold;

Learn to take chances, and take care of your mental and physical health so you're able to do so. 

So what you can expect from my blog are ideas to help you cope and grow, and also ways to make your life more exciting. I am so thrilled that you're here, and can't wait to share them with you!

Want some free resources?
​Here you go!