Coronavirus doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon. This is a time of high stress for everyone. Let alone, for those of us who have a diagnosis of conditions such as anxiety or depression. There’s been a lot of talk about how to manage your mental health at this time. But I’ve yet […]
The Crucial Difference Between Empathy & Sympathy
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 […]
How to Practice Deep Breathing to Soothe Anxiety and Stress
In a blog post about stress management, I suggested that often stress is like ‘Going on a Bear Hunt’, The famous poem by Michael Rosen. Whilst we can manage stress better (here’s how), and we deserve help to do so, I usually find that: “we can’t go over it, we can’t go under it, oh […]
How to Say No to Protect Your Mental Health
I’ve been saying this word a lot recently. It’s a word that I’ve always wanted to be able to say more. Not because I’m a particularly contrary person or a petulant toddler. But because it took me many years to realise that I had a problem with it. It’s a problem that I think many […]
7 Top Tips for Exercise Motivation
In a previous post, I pondered the dilemma of how much exercise was enough. During my personal exercise journey I had come across contradictory information. Everyone seemed to have an opinion on how much to workout. When to workout. And what workouts to do. But, even if you can sift through all this information. Then […]
How the Hamilton Soundtrack Speaks to my Anxiety?
I am the one thing in life I can controlI am inimitable I am an originalI’m not falling behind or running lateI’m not standing stillI am lying in wait – Wait for It, Hamilton I never thought I’d find inspiration about recovery in the Hamilton soundtrack. And yet. This song, Wait for It (lyrics above), […]
A Guide to Prioritizing Self-Care By Prioritizing You!
I really, really, really want to be a person who invests in themselves. Because after all that is what self-care is at root. It’s recognizing that you deserve to be a priority. Perhaps we know this cognitively. But how many of us prioritize ourselves at least as much as we prioritize the needs of others? […]
Children’s Mental Health Week: Missing Voices
It’s Children’s Mental Health Week which means that more than ever people will be shining the light on young people’s mental health. The theme this year is called Finding Your Brave. Whilst we should all be raising awareness of children’s mental health throughout the year, this is a great time to get the conversation going. […]
Your Guide to Creating an Exercise Routine That Will Stick!
It’s never enough, never, never….seems to be a constant refrain in life. But I’m not just talking about the Greatest Showman soundtrack, although I could – I totally could. I’m talking about exercise and the amount of information I’m drowning in. There are too many should’s and shouldn’ts. Words I wish to remove from my […]
Why an Anxiety Disorder isn’t the Same as Anxiety
Anxiety disorder seems to have become the acceptable or at least palatable face of mental illness. For many it is becoming easier to talk about a diagnosis of anxiety. As it should be. We are (finally) becoming a society where discrimination, in some cases, is lessening. But why is it particularly anxiety that is becoming […]