Finding Strength in Community: How an LGBTQ+ Founded App is Redefining Self-Care
Finding Strength in Community: How an LGBTQ+ Founded App is Redefining Self-Care
By Bryan Kosarek + The Unitē Mentors
The LGBTQ+ community has come together to overcome incredible challenges and push boundaries, while blazing trails that have transformed the world. Our community has always been known for its resilience and strength, even during some of the most daunting moments in history.
If you’re like many Americans, you may feel hesitant to seek professional help for your mental and emotional well-being, or you may find those services inaccessible due to costs or other factors. A report published in 2021 by the Mental Health Million Project reports that almost half of Americans who want more well-being or mental wellness support won’t seek professional help. And that number only goes up with the LGBTQ+ community. Many in the LGBTQ+ community are forced to cope with life’s difficulties alone, the consequences of which can be devastating.
It’s important to recognize that even the strongest among us need unique support. We are living through a collective healing process, and it’s time we turn back to one another to find that support; it’s time we come together to support each other, each other’s well-being, and to advance our community – together.
Enter, the Unitē app. Unitē provides a new kind of community, offering a space where individuals can come together to find support and grow together. Bryan Kosarek, Founder of the Unitē app, believes that real community power lies in individuals coming together, to support one another with empathy, kindness, and compassion.
The Unitē App offers an alternative solution to traditional forms of mental and emotional wellness support by providing a community-based platform that connects individuals with experts and other like-minded individuals on similar wellness paths. Using two-minute podcast audio clips to “spark” A-ha moments (while also allowing users to discover full podcast episodes and their creators!) the goal of Unitē is to bring people together who are struggling, going through life’s transitions, or more broadly – just simply seeking additional support, through and around relevant content.
Through some of the inaugural connections and conversations taking place on the app, Kosarek offers four tips for building and turning community into a form of self-care to better navigate life’s transitions, challenges, and aspirations.
Use “Consistency-Over-Time” Formula: Think about your closest relationships. What was the formula that allowed you to forge those meaningful and supportive connections? As adults, we have limited activities that follow this formula and fit into our busy schedules. Social sports leagues, LGBTQ+ Centers, the gym, volunteering, and book clubs, as examples, fit this formula and allow people to build trust as well as authentic and safe bonds. Find events, activities, and groups that allow you to consistently interact with the same people over an extended period of time. Doing so, while connecting with people around your core values, will ensure this bonding process which takes anywhere from 3-9 weeks will allow you to cultivate healthy and supportive relationships.
(Re) Discover Your Core Values: Kevin Kasir, an LGBTQ+ Mindset Coach and Unitē Mentor, said if you can’t communicate your 3-4 core values as an adult it’s time to re-discover them. All decisions and actions should take your core values into consideration to ensure authenticity and alignment. The key to finding your core values is creating a list of your happiest moments from your past and taking note of which emotion was present.
An example of emotions could be that you felt secure, connected, or a sense of community. Once you know your top 3 or 4 core values make sure to bring more people, experiences, and activities that allow you to feel those emotions to increase your happiness. If an app, friend, or environment doesn’t allow you to tap into these emotions maybe it’s time to step away from those things.
Trust Yourself, and Seek Support : When you’re navigating a moment of transition, challenge, or working toward a lofty aspiration, the initial desire you may feel is to tighten your grasp on the things you have control of in life. Amanda Vee, Certified Sex Coach and Unitē Mentor, suggests taking a step back, not trying to control the outcome, and just letting life be.
“If there’s one thing we’ve learned it’s that love and authenticity always prevail. Take a deep breath and exhale to let your nervous system relax.” A different perspective to consider is that a challenge or transition in life is not happening TO you, but FOR you; to prepare, strengthen, and align you with something greater you desire.
Switch To A Creator Mindset: The faster you can accept and shift your mindset from “Life is happening TO me”, which is a victim mindset, to a creator mindset of “Life is happening FOR me” the sooner you can connect with the individuals and communities to help you create the life that you desire.
Nicholas Berry, LGBTQ+ Psychotherapist in LA and Unitē Mentor, says “this is one of the hardest pills to swallow as an adult. Yes, things happen to us in life. This is part of the human experience. While we can’t always control what happens to us, we do have control over how we respond and the actions we take to create our life and relationships afterward.”
Let us not forget that we are human beings first and that our capacity to love and care for one another is our greatest strength. We are a community that knows how to love deeply. This is why Bryan has assembled the Unitē Mentor Collective, a group of wellness experts and creators, who can ensure our community has the necessary support.
Let’s continue to blaze trails, push boundaries, and support each other in every way possible. Kosarek says “If there’s one thing we’ve learned as a community, it’s that when we come together and unite around a common goal or desire anything is possible. The LGBTQ+ community has changed the world together. Now it’s time to prioritize our self-care and mental health. Together.”
Visit theuniteapp.com to download the free app and explore wellness collections where people can discover, connect, and grow with you. You can also explore our Unitē Collection to learn more about these tips and join the conversation.