Empathy is the ability to be ‘in’ a feeling with someone. But does that mean we have to have had the same or similar personal experience? When personal experience is lacking, are we still able to be empathetic? And if we’re not, what does that mean for the crucial emotional support that happens when we […]
Writing this isn’t a comfortable feeling. Empathy and fatigue don’t sit well in the same sentence. But I truly believe it’s something that needs to be addressed. We must speak about it. Drag it into the daylight for everyone to see and acknowledge. Only by talking about it can we stop it from dragging us […]
Sympathy and empathy are words we often use interchangeably. Does this matter? I think so. Sympathy and empathy were concepts I first learnt about in school, in English Literature. Since then it hasn’t had that much relevance in my life until the past few years. Because here’s the thing. If we’re going to be supportive […]
There’s an ongoing debate in mental health about how we frame mental health and in particular, mental illness. I first came across this idea watching Eleanor Longden’s TED talk on her experiences with psychosis. She discusses the importance of asking what happened to you, rather than what’s wrong with you. When we ask about people’s […]
Whether you are a profound advocate but lapsed practitioner. In a committed relationship. Or on shaky ground. It’s time to level up our self care game. Whilst self care may seem like a relatively new concept. It’s been doing the rounds throughout history. Traced back to ancient times, its rooted in philosophy and politics. So, […]
Do you remember the last time that you cried? Whether a lone tear, a barely suppressed sob, or a full out howl? Some of us may be able to do so. And remember the exact reason for it. Or the fact that there was no obvious reason. For others, we may be reaching further back […]
As children we’re taught life lessons by the adults around us. These lessons often involve or impact on our mental health in some way. I’ve been thinking about what we teach children and the behaviours and habits we wish to encourage. And have realised that whilst they’re fostered in childhood, presumably to help us be […]
I’ve been thinking about my parenting style a lot recently. I’m committed to being a good parent and this has led me to read countless articles. And to review and consider the way I parent my child. I want to hold my habits and behaviours under a microscope to ensure they are good enough. I […]
My previous post on feeling unheard and why this may be inspired this post. Recently, perhaps it’s the impact of a pandemic, I’ve noticed that sometimes help comes from unexpected people or places. And now that I’m thinking about it. I’m having conversations about this all the time. Perhaps it’s because I work in mental […]
Advocating for your mental health at work can feel like a huge step. There’s still a lot of stigma associated with mental health. And many of us may worry that telling our employer about our mental health or a diagnosis may cast doubts in our workplace about our abilities. For this reason, many of us […]