Episode 7 - Emotional Health & Physical Health Healing with Teresa Vesneske
By Jessica Garrison
We have such an enjoyable episode this week with guest Teresa Vesneske, a former paraeducator, now educator, who brings incredible energy to every conversation she has. She has 3 daughters and her life was dedicated to making sure they had everything they needed growing up. Once they were all on their own and Teresa had an empty nest, she had to figure out the next steps of her life. She decided to pursue her dream of becoming an educator by going back to school and finishing her degree. With her determined attitude and supportive family, she was able to work towards her goal and is now making a difference in the lives of so many children.
To be able to succeed at what she wanted to do, she had to establish some boundaries: “You can only give so much.” She understood what changes needed to be made, such as getting the negativity out of her life and realizing not everything can be perfect. If someone was making her feel bad about herself, she unfriended them, at least for the time being. Teresa keeps the possibility open that they may realign at different points of their lives, but as it stands, she needs people who are there to support her rather than tear her down.
Teresa has had an incredible journey through her physical health connecting with her mental health. Her physical health was a priority because she was resting at a weight of 374 pounds. She had so much social anxiety; even the thought of getting on an airplane was nerve wracking to her, and I don’t blame her. Like Teresa says, “the world is not kind.” If you scroll on your phone for just ten minutes, you’re bound to see at least one thing that negatively depicts people who are obese, particularly women. Teresa sought out weight loss surgery to help her change her life and, thankfully, it did: “I’m down 215 pounds and living my best life!” The most important thing she did was ask for help, even after she had her surgery. She rediscovered her love for swimming after losing weight and works with a counselor to help work through an eating disorder she didn’t even realize she had until after the surgery.
Being everyone else’s support system weighed on her, so she had to get in the “selfish” mindset of taking care of herself first. We know that it isn’t actually selfish to take care of yourself, but it’s difficult in the beginning when you’re trying to change an idea you’ve lived with your entire life. Teresa realized that “being good to myself trickles over to them.” She’s become a cheerleader for others but also for herself, and the community around her is beginning to follow her mindset. In supporting others and other women, she says that sharing the story is important because it shows others that it’s okay to ask for help. Those who love Teresa are there to support her, and she saw it was okay to lean into that support. Once she realized this, her life began to move forward in a positive way, and she wants other people to learn from this.
Teresa was a young mother, and her whole focus was on raising her children. She began to neglect other parts of her life for her girls, primarily her own self care. She was a mother figure to a lot of people, including children that her children were friends with. This kind of attitude further signifies that she was meant to be an educator, and her kindness is incomparable. We can all remember that friend whose mom was “Everyone’s Mom” and the impact they made on our lives.
By living out of her own expectations rather than others, Teresa realized how much better life could be. There were people who said she’d never get her degree or a teaching job, never lose weight, and basically never accomplish her goals. She also has siblings who are a lot older than her, and she had to stop comparing where they were in their lives to where she was; they were on a separate journey and not in the same area of life as her. You can never really compare yourself to anyone because what they’ve been through and what you’ve been through are completely different. You are on your own journey and how you get to your destination is up to you.
This past November Teresa completed her 11th 5k run and hopes to accomplish more in the future. She shared that she always wanted to be a runner but couldn’t really do so until she lost weight. Just as Teresa has shown us, with a positive mindset and attitude to match, anything is possible. I can’t wait to see what she accomplishes next.