Boost your mood with these powerful feel good fragrances
Gardens make me emotional The smell of freshly cut grass instantly transports me to the seaside caravan park where I spent the sunshine of my youth. My family spent every summer there soaking up the Scottish sun (there seemed to be more sunshine back then)...
Fighting ‘the big sad’ one scribble at a time
I spend a lot of time scrolling. Instagram is where I mentally tune out, and instead mindlessly absorb visual data with varying rates of success. I drool over vegan milkshakes which overflow sensually from bubbling mason jars, and peer curiously into the...
Overcoming social anxiety – a five step guide
Contains affiliate links A few weeks ago I booked tickets to a free event at the BBC Academy in Birmingham. The thought of getting to hear my girl crush Emma Gannon chair a panel about social media was exciting enough, but getting to go for free was the icing on the...
Postnatal depression – a letter from my friend Amy
Mental illness is a huge part of my life - a powerful force at times - and I know many of you are in the same situation. Although I'm comfortable talking about depression and anxiety there are some conditions that I don't know anything about. I was...
Why make-up free days are essential for your self-care routine
Make up free days are essential for self-care I haven't always been an advocate of the make up-free life. I remember getting a compliment one day at work when I was in my 'proper' job. You know, the type of job that your parents are finally happy about....
Mental health clothing for when you want own your illness
Mental health clothing is my jam. You should know by now that I'm really into talking about my mental illness. In fact, I think it's pretty darn important that we ALL talk about it. We've been conditioned to stay silent on the subject for so long...
Creative self-care ideas for introverts with depression
Introverts, this one's for you. I’m sitting at my desk, home alone, with only the light of my laptop to light the room. Rain eerily taps against the open window and I suddenly realise that I’ve not spoken to anyone in about 12 hours. This might sound like...
Customer service work ruined my mental health
UPDATE: Since writing this post I've successfully pivoted from hospitality into a career in freelancing. My book Out of Office: Ditch the 9-5 and Be Your Own Boss is an Amazon bestseller and the perfect guide for anyone who craves a more flexible work life. Learn more...
10 small cleaning tasks to do when you feel overwhelmed
How to function on little to no sleep
I'm writing this after a bloody lovely night's sleep. I drifted off quite easily at around midnight and when the alarm went off at 6am I didn't have my usual morning thought; "Can I justify quitting my job today?" I actually felt quite awake and ready to start the...
Why it’s hard to take sick days when you have depression
Quitting my job to recover from depression was a huge decision for me, but also one that I was confident making. I knew I needed complete rest and absolutely no stress to rebuild my life. However being unemployed brought its own problems and feelings of inadequacy,...
Why having snacks in my handbag keeps me calm (and other strange habits of an anxious mind)
I wouldn't say I'm a homebody, but for some reason being far away from my house for an extended period of time makes me nervous. Maybe that does qualify me as a homebody. I'm not entirely sure. Oh and by the way, when I say 'extended period of time' I mean...