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Kanye West’s Strange VP Pick Is Right About Mental Health After All

Last Updated September 23, 2020 2:03 PM
W. E. Messamore
Last Updated September 23, 2020 2:03 PM
  • Kanye West’s VP pick says she has worked as a mental health therapist for ten years.
  • TMZ recently bashed the self-care routines she advises as “odd.”
  • But there’s a breadth of literature to support her recommendations.

Kanye West says he’s serious about his 2020 presidential bid, and it’s stressing out Kim Kardashian . Maybe Kim’s just upset that she won’t be her hubby’s running mate. But more likely, she’s wondering if he’s coming unglued.

Last week, West gave a rambling interview with an all-too-predictably odd assortment of views. That led early West 2020 backer, Elon Musk, to bail out with a tweet that left hip hop fans screaming.

musk tweet
Musk isn’t on board with Kanye anymore. | Source: Twitter 

But losing Mr. Musk’s support hasn’t stopped Ye from moving to cement his place as “the voice of this generation.”  While the billionaire rapper still hasn’t filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission, he does have a running mate. Last week, he named Michelle Tidball his vice presidential pick.

The obscure choice is a Christian life coach from Wyoming . She offers a host of coaching and Bible study services online and says she’s been a mental health therapist for ten years.

Kanye West’s VP Pick Recommends Making Your Bed

Several outlets, including TMZ, bashed Tidball’s “odd take on mental health.”  From the headline, readers might expect something like Scientology “audits,” healing crystals, or sensory deprivation tanks. But her advice isn’t odd at all:

I worked with chronic mentally ill for ten years. I used to say if you would get up every day and make your bed and do your dishes, you would be better… all the mentally ill that I knew, didn’t make their bed, and they didn’t do their dishes. Those were two things. So I think, well let’s start there.

TMZ scoffed at the idea that doing house chores could help with mental illness, but it’s well-supported by the literature. Sticking to routines and self-care are essential supports for positive mental health .

The Science of Routines and Mental Health

World-renowned Toronto clinical psychiatrist and bestselling author of “12 Rules for Life,” Dr. Jordan Peterson advocates cleaning your room as a good foundation. It has become a meme among his followers. In 2018, Kanye West outed himself as a fan of Peterson’s work .

People high in trait Neuroticism, one of the “Big Five” personality traits, which is sensitivity to negative emotions, tend to be more anxious and depressed . Routines and structure help them a lot. According to the Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Center in Fort Lauderdale :

When you have a healthy routine in place, you are able to make better choices and more easily face any challenges that occur. You can’t plan for everything, but when the basics are taken care of, you can more easily handle challenges. Routine adds elements of habit and rhythm into your daily life.

They recommend going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day–and doing household tasks. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is an entire field of psychology based on the principle that many mental health problems are really practical breakdowns in our routines and habits. Dr. Steve Orma, a CBT clinical psychologist, says :

Create a set schedule for doing chores, work tasks, meetings, exercise, paying bills, and all the usual things you need to do. Put these into your schedule.

TMZ is just click-baiting readers with cheap laughs at Kanye West and his VP pick. But her advice is hardly odd or even controversial. It’s just good advice.


Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com, and they should not be construed as professional medical advice.