July 21, 2025
Picture the scene: You’re walking through this crazy thing called life, running from one obligation to the next with no end in sight — and suddenly it hits you: “I’m kind of… sort of… not okay right now.”
You might be financially stable, have a good career, great benefits, a happy family life, dreams being achieved, checklists being completed… yet, even with all of this, you find yourself mentally exhausted. It’s upon realizing this that you start to convince yourself of all the reasons you should be happy — but you find yourself losing hope at a rapid pace, despite the good things in your life.
Maybe this lasts a few days, then you shake it off — only to have a second bout with it three months later, and this time it becomes more intense and more consuming. You know you should pay attention to what you’re feeling, but who’s got the time for that? You’re busy out here! Not to mention, there are mouths to feed, people to please, and deadlines to meet.
But deep down inside, you know that if you don’t do something about this increasing feeling of hopelessness and dissatisfaction, you’re going to head down a much darker road. It’s at this moment that your Mental Health Check Engine light starts blinking.
So what do you do? Where do you begin?
Well, let’s start with three things — and go from there.
Pockets of peace are a frame of mind — a mindset, if you will. However, they can also be a physical space or activity. Regardless of whether it’s an emotional or physical place, what’s vital is that you are intentional and carve out time each day — whether it be for two minutes or two hours — to step into a space where you can leave your anxieties, stresses, worries, frustrations, and disappointments at the door.
For some, pockets of peace are the 10 minutes spent sipping their morning coffee before work. For others, it’s a 20-minute lunch break sitting on a shaded bench at the park across the street while listening to a favorite podcast. And still, for others, it’s just taking a five-minute walk the long way around — to the secret bathroom with the water fountain that has that extra cold water — as you proceed to clear your head.
Regardless of what it looks like, as you step into your pocket of peace, you are partaking in the three R’s: Resting, Rejuvenating, and Reassessing.
When we give ourselves the time to let the three R’s become the center of our focus, it has a unique effect on us. Sure, our problems don’t disappear — but how we view those problems changes. It’s not that everything suddenly fixes itself upon entering a pocket of peace, but rather, after stepping out of it, because of the rest, rejuvenation, and reassessment, you’re more equipped to handle the challenge in front of you. As opposed to letting those challenges drain all your mental energy, time, resilience, and — most importantly — your peace, you’re ready to face them.
Take a look around you, because these pockets of peace may be closer than you think.
Many of us are familiar with the idea of positive coping skills — the different tools, strategies, or techniques we use to help us manage the difficulties of life in a healthy way. I love positive coping skills, but there’s one more level to this — or at least one I’ve created — and I call them: Emergency Joys.
An Emergency Joy is a positive coping skill, yes — let’s be clear on that — but it’s a rather unique one. Think of Emergency Joys (EJs) as the Special Forces of coping skills. They are the ones called into action when the situation is serious and a victory is needed. They’re the go-to coping strategies that succeed when all others fail — the ones you call upon when you fall into what I call a “basement day.”
A basement day is when Murphy’s Law really comes to life: “Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong — at the worst possible time.” Fun times, right?
Now, it’s very important that when we have a basement day, we know where to turn — so we can get up and start walking up the stairs out of the basement and onto the road of hope (or toward seeking help). These Ejs (Emergency Joys) don’t have to be complicated. In fact, the simpler the better. But in order to qualify as an Emergency Joy, they must fit two important parameters :
To give you an example — I had four Emergency Joys during the deepest parts of my own basement days:
• Watching an hour of Seinfeld before bed
• Waking up and having my favorite bowl of cereal (Honey Bunches of Oats)
• Going on walks around the city while listening to my favorite Spotify playlist
• Spending time in prayer with Jesus
Those four little EJs gave me the strength to get up and start walking through the basement to the stairs — rather than laying down in that basement for weeks or months on end.
Now to be clear — Emergency Joys are not a replacement for seeking professional help, and they are not to be solely relied on. But they are the first step to regaining hope — a starting point on the path toward further support. They are not the end of the journey; they are the beginning.
This can be through talking to someone, journaling, or even recording a video of yourself talking about what you’re going through and watching it back privately. It’s about whatever works for you — but finding some type of outlet to get those feelings, emotions, and mental struggles out is the first step to moving past them.
This isn’t always easy — and at times, it can feel awkward. But let’s be honest: many of the things that are best for us require stepping outside that cushy comfort zone we’ve spent so many years sitting in.
Change is scary and uncomfortable — but it is the catalyst for growth.
So, if you find that your Mental Health Check Engine light is on today, try using any combination of the three strategies listed above to help yourself get on the path of hope, help, and healing. But it all begins with acknowledging that check engine light — and taking action to do something about it.
Scott is a professional speaker, author, professor, certified coach, and mental health advocate based in Philadelphia, PA. As the owner of Scotty P Inspiration LLC and a graduate of Temple University, Scott shares his personal journey of overcoming depression to inspire hope and resilience in others. He speaks nationwide to students, corporate leaders, and educators, offering practical mental health strategies with a compassionate approach. Over the past six years, Scott has reached over 200,000 people across 38 states. He’s been featured on Fox 29's Good Day Philadelphia and has served as a keynote speaker and corporate trainer for many major events and organizations. In March 2024, he released his debut book, From Rock Bottom to Rock Solid: Learning to Navigate Life Through the Lens of Hope .
