Sharon Johnson has had many jobs – flight attendant, doula, and barista. But these days, her primary role is mom of six and mental health advocate – a title she takes seriously and a hat she wears proudly.
A Question of Faith
Some would say the bones for who we'll be as adults form early. Johnson was a somewhat shy child, but her Mormon faith emphasized teaching and public speaking, which she grew fond of shortly into her teen years. From there, she felt quite comfortable in the spotlight – loved it, even – but she had no idea her talents would lead to where she is today. "I even spoke at my high school graduation despite not being anywhere close to valedictorian with my grades," she says. "But I kept it real and talked to my fellow students about having hope."
Then something happened. The same faith that had cultivated her love of speaking to people and built confidence began to do the opposite. After years with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church, she and her family parted ways. "I started having some real differences with the religion," she says. "It's a very big deal to leave." Still, Johnson felt her mental health was at stake.
"Mental health and depression are something that I have dealt with my entire life," she says. "I was going to a therapist at 14 years old, on my medication at 15 years old. It was something that I had experienced a lot, and it was very normal in my family. My dad had severe depression." Johnson says she felt lucky that in her childhood, mental health struggles weren't faux pas or something you just didn't talk about.
TikTok Rebellion
As Johnson and her family made the difficult decision to leave a faith that had been part of her life for years, something unexpected happened. "Instead of being ruined, I saw my mental health start to improve," she says. She turned to social media to find community and help others.
"I used social media as a way to therapize and validate myself," says Johnson. "For many high-demand [organized] religions, you can feel like you're in a bubble."
Rather than stay isolated, she found an outlet for a very difficult time in life. Before long, she was asked to speak at conferences and built a following of like-minded women and moms. This new social media frontier became a platform to talk about religion, faith, making bold moves, and also the mundane and lovely moments of being a parent.
The Mission of Social Media
Johnson has amassed a genuine and robust online following. Her content focuses on motherhood, without parading her kids on all posts, and leaving religion, without demonizing faith. But it hasn't been without some hits. The comments are often brutal, and the feedback on how she mothers is unkind. "In one post, I talked about not having the energy to bathe my kids every day," she says. "Someone said I was an unsanitary mom!"
Some would say combining motherhood and mental health with social media is jumping into the eye of the storm. But she says it's been a net positive – extra money for the household and finding a community. "I'm also learning how to navigate it all," she says.
Johnson has rules like not posting her kids and not reading the comments when things go viral. "There are a lot of negative things about sharing your life online. You get a lot of negative feedback, she says. "But you do get so much good, too!"
She enjoys the friendships that have been built and being able to turn some of her lowest moments into teachable ones for herself and others. "I get DMs once or twice a day from people saying that they've tried different therapy because of a video that I shared or they tried a coping mechanism with their kid that worked really well," she says. "I just really believe strongly in sharing our lives and being authentic."
Johnson says that it's all still the icing on the cake because it was social media that saved her life. "A few years ago, I had a severe reaction to a medication, some medical challenges with myself and my children, and was just in a dark space," she says. "I didn't notice, at first, but remembered a TikTok doc saying that often, people seem and act fine before doing something tragic. I was in that space – seemingly fine, but researching ways to make it all stop. It was a wakeup call for me."
After changing medications and getting back into therapy, things looked up again for Johnson. In many ways, her social media presence has been a curriculum of confidence. Her lessons in being true to her story and being OK with people loving or hating her content have mirrored the challenges of the world around her. "I was thrown into this fire, but I was not burned," she says. "It's a lesson I carry with me for life."
Mental Health and the World
Today, Johnson says she's learning to give herself and others grace. "I love that many faiths are empowering people to understand that it's OK to trust yourself and that all answers aren't outside of you," she says. "Trust yourself and know you are capable of making decisions."
The faith to leave a religion after firm ties, the courage to launch into the unknown world of social media, and the support of those who love her have fueled her to strive for the next frontier. "I'm trying to figure out what's next," she says. "Do I want to do a book? A podcast? Continue speaking engagements?"
One thing is certain: Johnson adores being in real life with real people. It's her chance to give hope to those who were like her years ago – depressed and somewhat lost. What would she tell young Sharon? "I'd tell her she's going to be OK, that she's strong, capable, and that she can do hard things."
