How fitness classes saved my mental health
I never thought I'd be one of those people who would say fitness changed my life. But here we are. I've exercised almost every day for the past five years and I don't want to imagine a life without it because it makes me so unbelievably happy. It all began with a...
Why learning to ignore my anxiety is having a positive impact on my mental health
As I sit here on a half-empty Virgin train waiting to leave Glasgow Central, I doubt anyone around can tell I’m trying to stop myself from having a panic attack. I’ve put my luggage away, started typing on my laptop and even exchanged a few words with the...
Surviving or thriving? How I realised I was actually recovering from mental illness
Depression is a tough subject. There's no getting away from the fact that it's a painful illness that affects many of us, but I want to take a moment to talk about recovery and how it can begin to happen without us realising. I didn't think I would ever recover, but I...
Talking diets and online expectations with Carly Rowena
At a party I recently saw a friend who I hadn’t seen for almost a year. She had lost a lot of weight and was being praised for the achievement by all the women at the party. With my history of rapid weight loss, crash dieting, binge eating and excessive exercising I...
Early morning hacks for a happier day
I wish I could say I wake up at 5am every morning and do a home yoga session before breakfast but it’s simply not true. I’m not a morning person. Ew, just saying that phrase feels wrong. How can anyone wake up chirpy? It defies logic to me. If I’m being honest I have...
3 bad habits I eliminated to help my anxiety
I've seen my anxiety start to level off in the last twelve months, after struggling to cope with it everyday for over five years. Like many of you, I was particularly anxious about work and social interactions. I've always been happy to go to the gym, walk around town...
5 subscription services that will make life better
Is it just me or are the weekends getting shorter? It seems I can't do anything other than fall asleep on the couch on a Friday night and before I know it I'm having my obligatory Sunday afternoon nap. I guess being over 30 isn't as exciting as I thought it would be!...
Things to consider when you’re off work with a mental illness
I have such admiration for people who can continue to work whilst being treated for mental illness. I struggled so badly that I had to quit my job and was subsequently out of work for over a year whilst I built up my confidence to return. I know for some people going...
Holiday self-care tips and how to make it a priority
Do you ever feel like you need a holiday just to recover from being on holiday? I get this all the time, and I realised it's because I wasn't setting aside time for self-care when I was away. We often feel obliged to cram in as much sight-seeing or...
5 easy ways to de-stress right now
I'm the queen of stressing out. I can appear calm and collected on the surface for weeks, but it only takes something small and insignificant to tip me over the edge into total meltdown-mode. I've learned a few tricks over the years and now implement all of them on a...
How to stay happy on a sick day
Getting sick is SO frustrating. You eat your veg and take your vitamins but sometimes the body can't fight off infection without a few rest days. I don't know about you I can't wait until we're all floating heads inside robot bodies (joke). As someone who prides...
3 mental health books you MUST read today
I've spent many an afternoon wandering around the library. To me the library has always been a place of opportunity, and it has helped me find books that ignite new interests and explain unknown worlds to me. I've loved collecting books over the years, and...