Mental health shapes every part of our lives. As Shannon Purser put it, ‘It’s not just this neat little issue you can put into a box.’ But for a long time, I tried my best to do just that.
For years, it felt easier to pretend I was fine rather than admit when I wasn’t. Writing about my own mental health journey has become a way to break down that barrier, helping me destigmatize and normalize these conversations—first for myself and, hopefully, for others too.
I’m learning that it’s okay to say when I’m not okay. It’s okay to make the invisible, visible. Through sharing my experiences, I hope to remind others they’re not alone as I navigate my own self-therapy, one word at a time.
You Are Not Alone: Words of Comfort for Tough Times
For much of my life, I’ve felt adrift, caught in moments when I wasn’t okay, yet unable to admit it. For years, it was easier to pretend everything was fine rather than face the truth. I often felt alone, struggling to stay afloat on a sea that seemed intent on …
Why Is It So Hard To Move In With Someone After Being Single For So Long?
For six years I've lived alone. Now, I'm moving in with someone. And I'm finding it hard to let go of the life I’ve lived for so long as it teeters on the edge of becoming ours instead of just mine. I find myself reminiscing about all the things I’ve …
The Unexpected Beauty of Being Alone in Public
I've come to learn that being alone is powerfully compelling, once you’ve reframed alone time as not something that has happened to you, but as a time to make things happen for you. And there is an unexpected beauty in being alone, especially in public. I used to see alone …
Social Anxiety Brought On From Working From Home
Six years ago, my job was predominantly social. I'd natter with total strangers, host presentations in front of hundreds of people and whilst never totally comfortable, I was pretty good at speaking in front of an audience. But for the past few years I've been working from home, and something has …
Social Media: Are we really able to achieve connection in the way we hope for?
People need connection. People want to be included, to be liked, to feel part of a community. Connected with others, validated in their actions, life choices and who they are. But in this day and age of social media and the internet, are we really able to achieve connection in …
Journaling For Better Mental Health
Is journaling good for wellbeing? I had not anticipated how valuable journaling would become to me. How this place for me to write my deepest thoughts and feelings, to explore my emotions and figure out a bit better, who I am. Would improve my mental health, increase my self-awareness, help …
It’s Okay To Not Be Okay
Every aspect of life is impacted by mental health. Which makes it a bit silly when I think back on how uncomfortable I’ve felt admitting that mentally, I’ve experienced peaks and troughs, when pretty much every element of everyday life impacts my emotions, feelings and state of mind. So here’s …
Saying No to Social Engagements is Totally Okay
I don’t know about you, but for the last few years I’ve found too much going on in my social calendar to feel really heavy. Stressful, even. I didn’t practise healthy social organisation skills, said Yes to pretty much anything and started to feel quite overwhelmed. Sure, there are worse …
Learning to Like Imperfectly Perfect Me
I used to see myself as all my shortcomings. The inadequacies were all I focused on. I held my many flaws against myself and saw imperfection when I turned within. We’re taught that we should be perfect. Our minds, bodies, lifestyle, everything about us should be top notch or as …
Speaking about my suicidal thoughts
I don’t think anyone that knows me would consider me a depressive person or someone who has struggled at times with depression. Generally I try to emit a happy persona. I mask what’s sometimes under the surface of it all. Because in truth, I’ve battled the deepest darkness, and occasionally …
Confronting the Stigma: Why Do I Feel Embarrassed About My Mental Health?
My mental health problems have been with me since I was a teenager, but I’ve mostly lived with them as a secret companion. Despite being diagnosed with depression in my late teens, having struggled with anxiety and negative thoughts as I’ve grown older, plus joyous recurrent bouts of depression. I …
Phone scrolling before bed. It feels like self-harm for my mind, so why do I do it?
Many a night I’ve spent hours watching videos and reels, scrolling through feeds, losing myself in the comments on social media, and googling apparent need to know there and then answers. Subconsciously, I’m aware my absent phone scrolling before bed makes me feel like shit. That it’s like self-harm for …
When University Isn’t Living Your Best Life
University is the place to make lifelong friends, live your best life and create memories that will last a lifetime. When I got my place at Nottingham Trent University 18 years ago, that was the dream. Well it was definitely the image I had in my head anyway. The real …
No-one tells you how you are going to feel and how to grieve
This is a guest blog by Lisa Holmes: I don't believe in stages of grief, like a run of a ladder. For me grief has been every feeling and emotion weaving its way in and out, like a squiggly drawing or a knotty piece of string. When I think one …
I’m Overwhelmed From Constantly Being Overwhelmed
I feel overwhelmed constantly with, well, just life really. I didn’t used to feel this way, I had better coping mechanisms. But things that didn’t used to feel like a lot feel like so much now. Like days when there are multiple what’s app threads to respond too and my …
What Does Depression Feel Like?
When I was 19, I was diagnosed with depression. At the time I didn’t know much about mental illness. It wasn’t something I’d heard people speak about and I didn’t know anyone who’d had depression. And even now at 37, I’ve rarely shared what I went through with anyone other …
Living with Anxiety and its Myriad of Offshoots
This is a guest blog by Lucy Chamberlain: I was once having a coffee in a cafe before work and I suddenly became hot and scared. I felt extremely on edge and self-conscious. Shaking and couldn't move from my seat. Panic stricken. I wanted to reach out to the cafe …
Are you Experiencing Seasonal Depression? Or Are We Facing A Mental Health Pandemic, Post Covid-Pandemic?
I’ve balanced varying degrees of depression throughout my life, the worst being in my late teens where it lead to a drop out of University. But throughout these past two years, I’ve swayed back and forth between thinking I was doing okay (I mean, I wasn’t. But I was clinging …
Don’t Be Fooled By Social Media. Not Everyone is Living Their Best Life
Social Media. An endless stream of happy smiling faces portraying wealth, success and picture perfect moments. Awe inspiring and envy inducing lifestyles. The social media world looks pretty darn fabulous when taken at face value, but this is a reminder to myself, to you reading, and for anyone who needs …
Don’t Be Fooled By Social Media. Not Everyone is Living Their Best Life
Social Media. An endless stream of happy smiling faces portraying wealth, success and picture perfect moments. Awe inspiring and envy inducing lifestyles. The social media world looks pretty darn fabulous when taken at face value, but this is a reminder to myself, to you reading, and for anyone who needs …
Are you Experiencing Seasonal Depression? Or Are We Facing A Mental Health Pandemic, Post Covid-Pandemic?
I’ve balanced varying degrees of depression throughout my life, the worst being in my late teens where it lead to a drop out of University. But throughout these past two years, I’ve swayed back and forth between thinking I was doing okay (I mean, I wasn’t. But I was clinging …
Living with Anxiety and its Myriad of Offshoots
This is a guest blog by Lucy Chamberlain: I was once having a coffee in a cafe before work and I suddenly became hot and scared. I felt extremely on edge and self-conscious. Shaking and couldn't move from my seat. Panic stricken. I wanted to reach out to the cafe …
What Does Depression Feel Like?
When I was 19, I was diagnosed with depression. At the time I didn’t know much about mental illness. It wasn’t something I’d heard people speak about and I didn’t know anyone who’d had depression. And even now at 37, I’ve rarely shared what I went through with anyone other …
I’m Overwhelmed From Constantly Being Overwhelmed
I feel overwhelmed constantly with, well, just life really. I didn’t used to feel this way, I had better coping mechanisms. But things that didn’t used to feel like a lot feel like so much now. Like days when there are multiple what’s app threads to respond too and my …
No-one tells you how you are going to feel and how to grieve
This is a guest blog by Lisa Holmes: I don't believe in stages of grief, like a run of a ladder. For me grief has been every feeling and emotion weaving its way in and out, like a squiggly drawing or a knotty piece of string. When I think one …
When University Isn’t Living Your Best Life
University is the place to make lifelong friends, live your best life and create memories that will last a lifetime. When I got my place at Nottingham Trent University 18 years ago, that was the dream. Well it was definitely the image I had in my head anyway. The real …
Phone scrolling before bed. It feels like self-harm for my mind, so why do I do it?
Many a night I’ve spent hours watching videos and reels, scrolling through feeds, losing myself in the comments on social media, and googling apparent need to know there and then answers. Subconsciously, I’m aware my absent phone scrolling before bed makes me feel like shit. That it’s like self-harm for …
Confronting the Stigma: Why Do I Feel Embarrassed About My Mental Health?
My mental health problems have been with me since I was a teenager, but I’ve mostly lived with them as a secret companion. Despite being diagnosed with depression in my late teens, having struggled with anxiety and negative thoughts as I’ve grown older, plus joyous recurrent bouts of depression. I …
Speaking about my suicidal thoughts
I don’t think anyone that knows me would consider me a depressive person or someone who has struggled at times with depression. Generally I try to emit a happy persona. I mask what’s sometimes under the surface of it all. Because in truth, I’ve battled the deepest darkness, and occasionally …
Learning to Like Imperfectly Perfect Me
I used to see myself as all my shortcomings. The inadequacies were all I focused on. I held my many flaws against myself and saw imperfection when I turned within. We’re taught that we should be perfect. Our minds, bodies, lifestyle, everything about us should be top notch or as …
Saying No to Social Engagements is Totally Okay
I don’t know about you, but for the last few years I’ve found too much going on in my social calendar to feel really heavy. Stressful, even. I didn’t practise healthy social organisation skills, said Yes to pretty much anything and started to feel quite overwhelmed. Sure, there are worse …
It’s Okay To Not Be Okay
Every aspect of life is impacted by mental health. Which makes it a bit silly when I think back on how uncomfortable I’ve felt admitting that mentally, I’ve experienced peaks and troughs, when pretty much every element of everyday life impacts my emotions, feelings and state of mind. So here’s …
Journaling For Better Mental Health
Is journaling good for wellbeing? I had not anticipated how valuable journaling would become to me. How this place for me to write my deepest thoughts and feelings, to explore my emotions and figure out a bit better, who I am. Would improve my mental health, increase my self-awareness, help …
Social Media: Are we really able to achieve connection in the way we hope for?
People need connection. People want to be included, to be liked, to feel part of a community. Connected with others, validated in their actions, life choices and who they are. But in this day and age of social media and the internet, are we really able to achieve connection in …
Social Anxiety Brought On From Working From Home
Six years ago, my job was predominantly social. I'd natter with total strangers, host presentations in front of hundreds of people and whilst never totally comfortable, I was pretty good at speaking in front of an audience. But for the past few years I've been working from home, and something has …
You Are Not Alone: Words of Comfort for Tough Times
For much of my life, I’ve felt adrift, caught in moments when I wasn’t okay, yet unable to admit it. For years, it was easier to pretend everything was fine rather than face the truth. I often felt alone, struggling to stay afloat on a sea that seemed intent on …
