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 […]
What I Learnt From My Phone Free Day
The other day I left my phone at home. I was about 10 minutes from my front door when I realised. I could have gone home to get it. My first reaction was to do exactly that. And then I thought, what if I don’t? What if I spend today without my phone? Here’s what […]
Why it’s Stress Management Not a Cure
We’re increasingly talking about stress more. More acknowledgement of mental health and the profound impact stress can play has brought the conversation to the fore. Stress is a major health issue which we’re only just starting to address. But when it’s come to health issues, we so often get caught up in a cure. Or […]
The Toxic Relationship Stereotype to Avoid
There seems to be a toxic relationship trope in romantic fiction or comedies. A theme that I find incredibly problematic. It goes like this. A group of friends sit around and talk about ‘training’ their partners. They talk about improving the way they dress, dropping their bad habits or getting them to help around the […]
Why Happiness is an Inside Job
Recently I’ve noticed a few books on the market called ‘happiness is an inside job’. And I knew instantly that this was a topic I had to write about. Something in my head clicked. I wanted to speak about this, I knew I had something to say. I just had to work out what it […]
What Can We Do About Suicide?
Suicide Prevention Day happens every year. And it’s importance can’t be overestimated. The Office of National Statistics suicide figures show that the number of suicides in the UK are at their highest since 2002. For young people’s (aged 10 – 24) numbers are at their highest for 19 years and for young women it’s reached […]
The 11 Tips You Need for Effective Listening
Listening is a skill most of us, if not all of us, think we posses. Most people with customer-facing roles or caring roles are trained to listen. We grow up being told to listen to instructions or to pay attention. But how well do we honestly do this? One time running a non-judgemental listening activity […]
Best Practise for Supporting Someone in Distress
Is supporting someone something that happens often? Many of us may wish to support someone in distress. But fear that we do not have the skills to do so. Our main fear may be that we could make the problem worse. But as a society we so often underestimate how much is needed to provide […]
Why Self Care is Everyone’s Responsibility
If mental health is everyone’s problem – which it is – then self care is everyone’s responsibility. The oxygen mask on the plane metaphor may feel tired. But. They’re right. We need to put our own on before we help others. As a member of society, as a parent, a friend, a sibling, a child, […]