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SALT LAKE CITY — As Rachel Lamb picks up her acoustic guitar, she hints at one of the things that brings her joy.
“I actually love playing Christian worship songs,” said the 44-year-old mother, who lives in Salt Lake City.
Lamb is an adjunct professor of psychology at Weber State University. And her road to mental health has been a long one.
Even as a child, she sometimes hid the sadness that dominated her emotions. “There were times when she was growing up that she believed that she wasn’t really worthy of being a person,” Lamb said.
In 2014 she was diagnosed with major depressive disorder.
“It was actually like a gift for me, to be able to name and say, ‘Oh, now I can deal with this. What can I do to solve the problem and manage this? I can see why it’s effective. I didn’t have the coping tools,” Lam said.
Managing her depression has given her daily habits that now give her confidence and balance. Ms. Lam has added her meditation and yoga to her personal toolkit.
“If you don’t practice, it won’t stick. Your brain learns through repetition,” she says.
And now Mr. Lam has added ancient Chinese customs. Qigong. “My Chinese grandmother did that. My Chinese grandmother lived with her father in Utah for about 25 years before she passed away,” she said.
Qigong is a movement and breathing practice to develop spirituality and health.
“The translation is like infinite chaos, but the purpose of the practice is to manage the chaos,” Lamb said.
Lam says practicing mindfulness has brought her a sustained sense of well-being for the first time in a while. She believes a similar routine can be beneficial for those dealing with anxiety, stress, and depression.
