Mental Health Champions: Why & How Jordan Corcoran of Listen, Lucy Is Helping To Champion Mental Wellness
An Interview With Michelle Tennant Nicholson
Shower and brush your teeth — every single day. I know this sounds so obvious and so easy, but to anyone that has struggled with mental illness, we know how impossible this feels at times. No excuses. Get up and take care of your hygiene.
As a part of our series about Mental Health Champions helping to promote mental wellness, I had the pleasure to interview Jordan Corcoran.
Nationally recognized public speaker and author, Jordan Corcoran, founder of Listen, Lucy, is a mental health advocate with a story to share. During her freshman year of college, she was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder. After going through a difficult struggle with coming to terms and learning to cope, Jordan created an organization that uses her lived experiences to end the stigma surrounding mental health. Now Jordan’s time is spent touring around the country speaking about her story and the importance of acceptance — of others and of yourself. She is the author of Listen Lucy Volume 1, Write It Out, Little Lucy and the Little
Butterflies and Little Lucy Bullies. Her mission is simple: she wants to create a less judgmental and more accepting world.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
When I started to respond to this question, I immediately was going to go right into my struggle with mental illness. I know that’s why I am being featured and it is the foundation of my business, so it was routine to start right at 18, when I was lost, sick, and undiagnosed. When I took a second to pause, I started thinking about my early childhood and that brought such a big smile to my face.
I had the funniest, most carefree early childhood. I ran, got dirty, pretended I was Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen with my neighborhood best friend, and played every sport that would have me. I had hilarious siblings and feared nothing. I was confident and happy and made friends at every gym across Pittsburgh. I loved snack bars and any sort of trend like butterfly clips and a different color nail polish on every finger. I really love thinking about that version of me.
Somewhere along the way, things changed. I kept some of those really awesome personality traits, but I also lost some of them. Life interfered. Things got hard. My confidence got shaken and my health deteriorated. The core of me was still there, but something was very different and that spark inside of me went out for some time.
Did you ever see that meme that says “Once I get my shit together, you all better watch out”? Well, that’s how I felt once I started to get my mental health under control. It took years to get out of crisis mode. The work was unbearable at times. But once I saw the change happening and the spark relit? I just knew I could change the world.
You are currently leading a social impact organization that is helping to promote mental wellness. Can you tell us a bit about what you or your organization are trying to address?
I would really love to. At Listen, Lucy, we are aiming to educate on stigma and normalize the conversation around mental health. Both
goals are so near and dear to my heart. Stigma plagued me from accepting the help that could have saved me from a lot of trauma. Stigma stopped the conversation from being a normal one, which led my parents to be in the dark when trying to help and understand me. Stigma made me hate who I was and how I was wired. Stigma is dangerous and it stops people from loving themselves and getting better.
Normalizing the conversation would have made it easier for me to speak up. It would have been easier to ask for help and it would have stopped me from thinking horrible things about myself because this was the hand I was dealt. Normalizing this conversation gets people to jump that hurdle that I collapsed in front of when I was young. It tells people it’s OK to not be OK and it doesn’t mean you can’t endure or that you can’t thrive.
Accomplishing these two goals means that I have turned into exactly what I needed when I was younger and I am doing my part to leave this world better than I found it.
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?
When I was 19-years-old and a freshman in college, I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder. I went from being a lively, fun teenager to a shell of that person. I was having panic attacks daily. If I wasn’t having panic attacks, I was using every fiber of my being to fight off a panic attack. I was taken to and from the hospital often. I was losing weight. I wasn’t sleeping. My grades started to suffer. I was taken off my college campus on a stretcher. I had oxygen masks on my face and I learned what true terror actually was.
It was the scariest, loneliest, most exhausting time of my life and I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone.
On top of dealing with this all-consuming illness, I was also so terrified of people finding out that something was “wrong” with me. I was so worried about being labeled as the stigmatizing words I had heard the world call people who struggle with mental illness. Stigma plagued me. It kept me frozen and silent and sick for so long. Eventually, after a lot of chaos and convincing, I accepted help and got to work — hard work. It took so much time and effort, but I started to make progress. I started to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Stigma is still impacting people every single day. I want to change that. I know I can change that. So I created a mental health organization that uses my lived experiences with mental illness to educate on stigma, to raise awareness, and to normalize this conversation to help people avoid the same mistakes I made when figuring this all out.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest them. They don’t get up and just do it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and do it? What was that final trigger?
At the time I decided to launch Listen, Lucy, I was working at a job that I really loved, but I wasn’t fulfilled by the actual work. I was working at an invention company where I met some of the most talented, hilarious, and supportive people that are still in my life. We worked with all of these extreme dreamers chasing after their passion. They provided us with the most colorful and entertaining experiences, and I envied their ambition. I saw all of these people just going after what they wanted, and I wanted to do the same thing.
I had the idea for Listen, Lucy years before and I knew it was something special, but life and reality got in the way like it does. I can remember sitting in my office and thinking — “Is this job where I want to be? If it’s not, what is my plan?” The seed that was planted when I was in college started to blossom and I started to be more serious about the idea. I started working at night on researching other ideas like mine, outlining what I wanted this organization to look like, how I was going to make money, creating a website, and reaching out to anyone and everyone I could that had experience in the entrepreneurial world. It took forever, but it felt so good that it didn’t matter. The fear and nerves subsided and the excitement grew. I knew I was meant to make a difference and my gut was telling me this was right.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
This feels uncomfortable to say, but the truth is that I have been privileged enough to have so many interesting, difficult, and rewarding experiences since Lucy’s inception. Learning to run a business, on the fly, at such a young age has provided me with so many challenges and hurdles, but the response to my message has always been incredible.
Early on in my speaking career, I was visiting a school and speaking to their middle school kids. After the presentation, emails started coming in with reactions to my presentation. Students and staff alike were sharing their own personal stories with me, thanking me for the work I was doing. It was so special. One of the emails broke my heart. A young kid wrote to me that he was battling with not wanting to be here anymore, that life just felt too hard for him to want to continue on. My heart raced and my eyes filled up with tears. I responded to the best of my ability and kept him responding. Eventually, I was able to get him to agree to visit the school counselor the next day and he even asked me to reach out on his behalf to make sure they knew he needed them.
The next day, I got confirmation from the school counselor that the student showed up. Later on, I received a notification that Listen, Lucy had been tagged in a Facebook post. The post was written by the student. The student bravely shared that he had been struggling and that he wasn’t sure if he could continue on much longer. He shared that he had recently prayed that he would find an answer so he didn’t have to continue to feel this way. He said that Listen, Lucy was the answer sent to him. I could never justly describe to you what that felt like to read those words. Right then, at that moment, my mission was accomplished– but I was just getting started.
None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?
I have been so lucky to have the support system I have. I could fill up this entire interview talking about the people in my life who have supported me, mentored me, and cheered me on both professionally and personally. I meet people every single day that would do anything to have the support that I have and I try my very best to never take that for granted.
There have been so many times over the past 9+ years I have wanted to give up on my business. There have been so many times over the past 17+ years I was mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted and didn’t think I could overcome the struggles I have been dealt. While I had to be the only one to pull up my bootstraps and do the work that needed to be done, the support I have makes it so much easier to endure.
My cheerleaders have listened to me, checked in on me, pushed me, held me accountable, celebrated my milestones, showed up to the hospital, and did everything they could to make sure I knew I wasn’t a burden when I felt like a constant problem. My support system has loved me unconditionally. Some have even gotten help for themselves which means they showed me the way. They have held my hand, stood by my side, and believed in me when I wasn’t betting on myself.
I give myself all of the credit I deserve for getting where I am, but it would have been so much messier and would have taken so much longer without them.
According to Mental Health America’s report, over 44 million Americans have a mental health condition. Yet there’s still a stigma about mental illness. Can you share a few reasons you think this is so?
First, I want to go on the record saying that I have seen progress being made to end the stigma that keeps people from seeking help. Over the past 9 years of running Listen, Lucy, I have seen so much change happen. It is pretty remarkable. That being said, I think there are a few reasons why stigma still exists.
- Media. The media portrays people struggling with mental illness as dangerous, violent, unpredictable people. When something as horrific as a mass violent crime is carried out in this country, one of the first things the media does is label the individual as having a mental illness — yet we don’t get any other information. They do not share if the individual is in treatment, has support, accepts their diagnosis, is currently medicated, etc. These facts are important to understand the entire picture, but they don’t prioritize this part of the story. The fact that the individual struggles with mental health conditions may be true, but this person is an extreme case and does not represent the millions of others that struggle with mental health. The truth is that people living with mental illness are actually 11 times more likely to be victims of violent crimes than to be the ones to carry out a violent crime, as found by the National Library of Medicine. Portraying the idea that people with mental illness are violent is so dangerous because it can keep people from speaking up and seeking help in fear of being labeled as such.
- Ignorance. Even when I was growing up, the conversations around mental health were slim to none. When I started to struggle and it was suggested that maybe I should see a therapist for anxiety, I was horrified and humiliated. My parents didn’t know what to think or what it meant. We were making our way through uncharted territory. We were unsure and we messed up a lot, but we learned. I think there are still so many families out there that are figuring it out. Sometimes, you just don’t know. Once you become educated in the subject, that stigma starts to disappear.
- Resistance. As the world evolves and this conversation gets normalized, I hear people criticizing the progress. I hear references to “toughen up” or “rub some dirt on it” or “back in my day…” or “this is what happens when everyone gets a trophy.” These statements of judgment are not only less-than-great nuggets of advice, they also aren’t helpful. Let me just say to make sure anyone reading this knows — people living with mental illnesses are some of the toughest people I have ever met, myself included. Resisting progress that is saving people’s lives perpetuates the idea that there is something wrong with these issues.
We know better now. Let’s do better.
In your experience, what should a) individuals b) society, and c) the government do to better support people suffering from mental illness?
- Individuals — This may seem so small and easy but changing our language and leading with kindness are two super simple ways to support others struggling with their mental health. Become aware of the stigmatizing language you use in your daily vocabulary and do your best to change those words. For example, one word I use constantly is “crazy.” It slips out and I am always describing things this way which is lazy and unnecessary. Now, I try to replace “crazy” with “wild.” It is one way to get that word out of our world. Treat other people with kindness and do your best to be a safe space for the people in your life to tell the truth to you and feel comfortable and not judged.
- Society — When people speak up at school or at work and say that they are struggling with their mental health, hear them. When you are in a position of power and influence, pause before you react and choose your words kindly. Take the time to see how you are supporting the mental well being of others and see what can be done and make the effort. Again, I know it sounds small, but it is just about doing what we can to support each other.
- Government — Pass laws to support mental well being. Provide funds to schools to prioritize mental wellness. Do your part to make college and graduate programs affordable so people can become effective therapists and social workers and counselors and psychologists. Act. Don’t argue with the other side just to secure votes. Think about the entire country that is facing a major mental health crisis and get to work. We are trusting you people to see our problems and find real solutions. Get it done.
What are your 5 strategies you use to promote your own wellbeing and mental wellness? Can you please give a story or example for each?
Prioritizing your mental health is imperative to each person. We, as a world, are in the middle of a mental health crisis. We need to find ways to make sure we are checking in and implementing effective plans to promote mental well being like we promote physical well being. Here is what I do.
- Therapy. I have been in and out of therapy for almost two decades. I have switched therapists, loved my therapist, decided that my current therapist no longer suited me, stopped therapy, and started therapy. It changes as my needs change, but I am always open to therapy, and I don’t know if I could ever put into words how much therapy means to me. It saved me and gave me the opportunity to live the life I am living now — which is pretty beautiful.
- Shower and brush your teeth — every single day. I know this sounds so obvious and so easy, but to anyone that has struggled with mental illness, we know how impossible this feels at times. No excuses. Get up and take care of your hygiene.
- Breathing techniques. Now, my breathing technique is to breathe in for 6 seconds. Hold it for 8 seconds. Breathe out for 4 seconds. I have been using it for so long and it helps me so much. My therapist recommends breathing out longer than you breathe in. So if that works for you, do that. There are so many options out there, and a good breathing technique is free and is always with you no matter where you are or what happens.
- Exercise. I have never been great at meditating or yoga. I really want to be — but I’m more of a scream-in-a-pillow and kick-something type of person. Exercise is my version of meditating. Right now, I am very into my spin class. The workout is so difficult, and the music is so loud that I literally can’t think about anything other than surviving each song. It’s my version of meditation and it gives me a moment to not do anything for anyone else, to clear my mind, and to recharge.
- Communicate. One very important thing I have learned through my years of all of this is to know who to call when and who can support me when I need it. I have learned that not everyone can understand the language I speak when I struggle with my anxiety and that’s OK. It is important to let my loved ones know when I am going through it. No one can read my mind so I have learned to share when I am ready to make sure I do not isolate.
What are your favorite books, podcasts, or resources that inspire you to be a mental health champion?
I love this question, and while I have so many answers for this, the project/books I want to focus on is Post Secret by Frank Warren. These books changed my life.
When I was 18 or 19 years old, I was in such an awful place. I was sick and lost and felt so desperately alone. My older brother took me to a bookstore and introduced Post Secret to me. We sat and looked at the pages and read the secrets and discussed the serious ones, laughed at the funny ones, and grimaced at the disgusting ones. It was so nice to be spending time with him and I thought it was so cool that he thought of introducing me to this project. As I was turning the pages to one of the books, I came across a specific secret that immediately filled my eyes with tears. It had a pink flower on it and the words on the page read “my anxiety consumes me.”
Someone felt the way I felt. Someone was going through what I was going through. Someone else was speaking my language and it just hit me. It was the first time since I was going through this disaster that I felt seen and understood– and that moment was everything to the young, lost version of me.
I wanted to give that experience to other people. I wanted it to be their moment where they felt seen and understood.
If you could tell other people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
The truth behind purpose-driven work is that it is so hard. It is not for the faint of heart and usually doesn’t happen overnight. You are going to get frustrated and angry, and you’ll want to give up. That’s fine. Feel those feelings. Scream into a pillow. Cry. And then get over it. Pick yourself up and pursue your dream, fiercely. Few people are privileged enough to make a positive impact on people. Don’t take it for granted and don’t give up.
Lastly, and I say this often, if the world isn’t paying attention to what you have to say, it doesn’t mean you aren’t saying something important. Keep adapting, be persistent, and find a way to make them listen.
How can our readers follow you online?
You can visit our website listenlucy.org and follow us on Instagram and TikTok @ListenLucy.
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
About the Interviewer: Inspired by the father of PR, Edward Bernays (who was also Sigmund Freud’s nephew), Michelle Tennant Nicholson researches marketing, mental injury, and what it takes for optimal human development. An award-winning writer and publicist, she’s seen PR transition from typewriters to Twitter. Michelle co-founded WasabiPublicity.com
