It’s always important to seek professional help if you are dealing with a mental health issue. Unfortunately, finding a professional can be harder than you might think. Even if you can find someone for you, you’ll still have to decide upon which type of professional with whom you should work. For most, the answer comes down to knowing the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist.
What Is a Psychologist?
Generally speaking, a psychologist is a person with an advanced degree in psychology who works with patients on their mental health. These individuals usually use various types of talk therapy to help individuals work through a diverse number of mental health issues. When many people think of the basic idea of therapy, they’re thinking about what a psychologist does.
When to Choose a Psychologist
It makes sense to choose a psychologist when you’re looking to address your mental health issues without medication. Attempting to change behavior of the long-term is usually best done with the help of a psychologist, especially if you’re looking to get to the root causes of why you feel how you feel. It should be noted, though, that even those who do seek medication can often work with a psychologist as well as a psychiatrist.
What Is a Psychiatrist?
A psychiatrist is specifically an individual who holds a medical degree and specialises in psychiatry. While psychiatrists do conduct many of the same types of therapy as psychologists, they differ from psychologists because psychiatrists can prescribe medication to their patients when needed.
When to Choose a Psychiatrist
The most common reason to choose a psychiatrist is because you are considering the possibility of pursuing some type of medical treatment for your mental health problems. This can range from specific types of medical therapies to medication, but all of these therapies do require a psychiatrist’s oversight. While most do choose psychiatrists because of the medical angle, many psychiatrists do still use talk therapy in a manner similar to psychologists.
It’s important to know what you want from therapy before you make a choice between a psychologist and a psychiatrist. While each type of professional does deal with mental health from a specific angle, whether one is better than the other has everything to do with your personal situation. While you will ultimately need to make the choice between the two, choosing to pursue at least some kind of therapy is a good step on the path to a brighter future.
This article was written by freelance writer Anita Ginsburg
Life can often be overwhelming, especially when working from home. Dealing with work deadlines, disagreements, constant emails and stressful situations is difficult enough, but trying to process those issues in your home environment can be confusing and difficult. It is likely that you are lacking motivation and potentially feeling anxious after working at home for months on end which will be impacting your productivity.
If you are in need of a serious boost, set aside some time each day and unwind by practicing yoga. We’re going to discuss how yoga can help you to overcome anxious, stressed and overwhelmed feelings in order to significantly improve your productivity when working from home, as well as talking about a few other tips that will ensure you are getting the most out of the time you spend doing yoga.
Overcoming Barriers
Yoga has endless benefits for our mind and body, firstly being it can substantially reduce stress and anxiety. Practicing yoga regularly can really help to clear the mind of negative thoughts and enable you to focus throughout the day, helping you to be productive when you need it most.
Yoga can also help you to sleep much better, giving your mind the time it needs to rest and recover to function as productively as possible the next day. As well as this, yoga can improve your overall well being and confidence, helping you to have faith in yourself when working on overcoming negative thoughts or stressful situations.
Finally, and most importantly, yoga boosts our happiness, which will do wonders for both your productivity as well as your general wellbeing. All of these fantastic benefits that help to reduce negative feelings simultaneously help us to become more productive.
Fitting Yoga Into Your Routine
Working and living in the same space can be testing, but setting aside even 10 minutes to practice yoga in the morning can help to completely clear your head space ready for a productive day ahead. Alternatively, doing yoga in the evening can help you to unwind and truly relax when your body needs it most, helping you to be more productive the following day. If you struggle to maintain focus throughout the day, why not try setting aside 10 minutes of your lunch break to clear your headspace.
You will eventually workout the time that works best for you, whether you can spare 10 minutes or an hour. Something that works well for many people is completing shorter sessions throughout the week and then spending around an hour at the weekends in order to improve your strength and ability to fully relax, which will in turn help you to make the most of your weekday sessions.
The best thing is the only equipment you need is a small space and a yoga mat if possible, so you can do it anywhere, anytime!
Pair With a Healthy Diet
To maximise the benefits of your practice, having a healthy diet is important. Consuming a variety of different fruit and veg, plenty of protein to support muscle recovery, and foods that help with joint pain or stiffness such as fatty fish, will all help you to make the most of your yoga experience
Integrating turmeric into your cooking is also a great option, as it has been used in Chinese Medicine for centuries to help with all kinds of health problems such as reducing inflammation and helping muscle recovery. In terms of vitamins and minerals, magnesium supplements have multiple benefits such as regulating the nervous system, supporting muscles and helping to convert food into energy. The last point is particularly important for those struggling with a lack of productivity, as you will find you have that extra bit of energy needed to get you through the day, as well as the strength to help you get the most out of yoga.
Summary
Overall, yoga has endless amounts of benefits that can completely change how you work and alter your outlook on life. All of these benefits help you to become happier and more productive, enabling you to prosper in every aspect of your life.
Many people are sceptical of yoga before practicing it themselves, but if you are in need of an intervention then give it a go. You potentially have so much to gain, and nothing to lose!
This article was written by freelance writer Daisy Moss.
On Wednesday 4th November, National Stress Awareness Day, Superdrug invited me to a zoom virtual panel event highlighting men’s mental health.
They said, ‘The event will aim to break taboos and increase the conversation around the mental health challenges that men have faced during the current coronavirus pandemic. ‘
We had a chance to listen to some famous and insightful panelists, including
Professor Green – Award winning musician and patron of CALM charity
Chris Hughes– TV personality
Matt Johnson– Broadcaster and mental health advocate
Alexander Leon– Writer and social change advocate
Dr Amir Khan– Doctor and best selling author
(image: Superdrug)
In October 2020, Superdrug conducted research to find out how the pandemic is currently affecting people’s mental health.
The research was conducted among 3419 of its customers. Key findings are highlighted below:
● 86% of people believe men find it more difficult talking about mental health issues than women
● 82% of people believe there’s still too much stigma attached to mental health problems
● 71% don’t think employers take mental health problems seriously enough
● 80% of people would like to see mental health services being made more accessible to people
● 66% people said that their mental health is still being impacted by the pandemic.
As a result, Superdrug decided to launch a new service, known as Mind Care Superdrug. There will be an online doctor for people to find mental health support, with a video consultation and people will be referred to appropriate services. This will be a huge step forward and is an amazing thing to do!
Matt Johnson opened the panel, introducing each pannelist in turn to discuss men’s mental health. For me as woman, I recognise how important it is for men to speak out about their feelings after generations of stigma around mental health.
Professor Green talked about his battle with life long anxiety, saying ‘You just want to get out out of your own skin’, anxiety can be difficult but in life we encounter difficulties and learn to build resilience. Prof Green experienced anxiety as a child and teenager and still deals with it to this day and promotes talking about men’s mental health. He also spoke later in the discussion about self harm in men, to include drug and alcohol abuse and his familys own experience of suicide.
Chris Hughes then spoke about his anxiety and panic attacks, saying he was ‘proud to discuss it openly now‘. He said that before he became well known, he would get anxiety in the workplace that he tried to distract from by going to the gym. However, it didn’t work as well and now he is in the limelight, he has experienced panic attacks, which would manifest as pins and needles in his body and hyperventilation. Hughes shares about his mental health to help others, especially men, through it so they stop bottling feelings up.
Alex Leon told us that he was (in his words), ‘gay, brown and didn’t fit in’. He reminded us that LGBTQ and minority communities often have poor mental health due to a lack of acceptance. He said that 75% of suicide rates in the UK are men and that the narrative that ‘big boys don’t cry and men should just get on with it‘, should be addressed. Leon asked ‘what forms of stigma do men face?‘ and said often it is ‘Be stoic’ ‘be unemotional’ or ‘here is what a man or boy should be‘ – which all lead to poor mental health outcomes.
Dr Amir Khan also introduced himself and his work as a doctor in the UK- a GP working with mens mental health. He agreed with a lot of what Alexander Leon said and offered some profound insights.
The discussion then came back to Professor Green, who told the discussion that sadly his Dad and uncle had died by suicide and he felt mental illness ran in his family. He has struggled with depression and said, ‘ We all chase happiness. You should feel highs and lows- when I don’t feel anything is when I worry’.
Chris Hughes said we must normalise the conversation around mental health and Alex Leon added that self compassion is so important.
I very much enjoyed the panel discussion and really appreciated the chance to hear from great speakers on mens mental health. Superdrug are definitely ahead of the game!
I wasn’t paid for this article but Superdrug sent me a box of wellbeing goodies including Vitamin D tablets, vitamin tea, lavender and peppermint essential oils, sleep aids, moisture socks for feet with marula oil and a pampering skin and body set. Thank you!
Yesterday, on 5th November, my book Bring me to Light: Embracing my Bipolar and Social Anxiety (with Trigger Publishing) turned one!
Today, I got this lovely review from a Twitter follower Robin so I thought I would share it here:
‘It is an amazing book, really enjoyed reading it. An honest and open account of life with bipolar, your strength of character shone through. Thank you for being so open and writing it. – Robin Josephs
I wrote my book to help others and dispell the stigma about severe mental illness. Everyone is human and everyone has mental health. Whether you have never suffered or whether you have depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar, OCD, BPD or EUPD, self harm, addictions, PTSD etc- I would love everyone to be more open if they feel able.
I hope my book explains what being in hospital can be like but that you can recover.
You can get your copy on Amazon and in all good book shops now 🙂
Happy bookversary to me! Thank you to YOU for supporting my blog, reading this and helping get my book deal. To everyone who has bought a copy and to my fab editors Stephanie and Katie.
Out of Office: Ditch the 9-5 and Be Your Own Boss, by my friend and author Fiona Thomas is an incredible read! I have known Fiona for some time as our writing careers overlapped. We both became freelance journalists for publications including Metro.co.uk and Happiful magazine at the same time. We then got book deals around the same time with Trigger Publishing and released our first books within a year of one another. Fiona is one of the loveliest humans in the mental health writer world and so I eagerly anticipated reading her new book.
Ostensibly, the book is a guide to ditching the 9-5 traditional workplace and going freelance! This is something Fiona has great knowledge of, having left the 9-5 after a breakdown in her 20s and being diagnosed with depression and anxiety. It took her a year to recover from this and as she had previously worked as a Manager, she knew she couldn’t go back to the pressure cooker. You can read more about this in her first book Depression in a Digital Age.
Instead, like me, she found solace in blogging online about mental health, then writing and becoming a freelance writer for many publications. Now, she is not only an author but a writing coach, journalist and in demand speaker!
Freelancing is booming for people who want a more flexible lifestyle or have found themselves out of work too. All you need is a laptop, phone and internet connection!
(image: Fiona Thomas)
Now, to the book Out of Office. The book is full of Fiona’s trademark wit- I felt like she was talking directly to me as I read it. She has so much knowledge to impart on how to navigate the freelance world, avoid its pitfalls and make a successful career (and what to do when things can go pear shaped too!).
Whether you are just thinking about going freelance, just starting out or a few years down the line, this guide addresses all the questions you might have about working for yourself and making the most of life. Designed to help you attain and enjoy a self employed career, the book challenges the misconceptions around freelancing and offers the pros and cons of taking the plunge.
Fiona covers topics such as how to raise an invoice and submit a tax return, how to sell yourself, coping with imposter syndrome (aka I’m just not good enough to be here), as well as why working from home is proven to have a positive impact on productivity and mental health.
Fiona is a mental health advocate and always strives to help others on their journeys. I loved how engaging the book was, how I couldn’t wait to read the next chapter and learn more. As a freelance writer/blogger/author myself, I knew this book would help me too (especially with the finances) and it is sitting in pride of place on my book shelf as I devoured it. I will definitely re read and use Out of Office as a reference point in the future too.
This is a must read and you can get a copy here and in all good bookshops.
About Fiona:
Fiona Thomas is a freelance writer who was born in Glasgow but now lives in Birmingham. She has been published in Metro, Reader’s Digest, Happiful Magazine and Grazia. Her passion is working with female-led businesses and shining a light on the positive impact that freelancing can have on our wellbeing. This is her second book. She blogs at fionalikestoblog.com
Finding ways to spend a little time with just yourself without worrying about the stress of what others are needing of you can be a little challenging at times. There are many ways that you and others can enjoy a few hours of solitude with different activities for those who like to be alone.
There are also plenty of reasons why you may want to enjoy a private retreat where you have your own space to unwind. Perhaps you are just too much of a workaholic or you find your days too hectic. Or perhaps you’re not ready to settle into a committed relationship yet. Whatever the reason, there are many ways to get some time alone.
A Little Private Getaway
You can enjoy your own space without having to make other arrangements to do so, such as renting a quiet place to stay. You can do this at times when you feel most comfortable and if you don’t mind a short nap in between activities. Of course, you can also find homes that are full of amenities that will provide everything you need to relax.
Get Out in Nature
You can take part in a variety of activities such as yoga or other types of exercise that allow you to get out in the fresh air and enjoy the outdoors. Or you might enjoy fishing, hiking, boating, or swimming. Many people even find ways to get involved in activities like taking hikes around the lake, camping out in the woods, or enjoying the ocean.
Whether it be camping in Pennsylvania or enjoying the sunset on Cannon Beach by yourself. Being in nature can also just improve your mental health and lessen the distractions of everyday life for a little while.
Spend Some Time at Home
If you have children, you might find it easier to relax and have your own space. Many parents find it difficult to leave their kids at home alone so they have to choose ways to make sure that they can be left alone. But, many other times, you’ll be able to have the peace of mind that comes from knowing that you are doing the best you can to keep your family safe and healthy.
In addition, you can also find a way to relax by watching television. A lot of families have a set schedule for watching television and it’s a common practice to have each member of the family to watch a different show during the day while relaxing in the same room. Of course, there’s no set amount of TV you can watch but in some cases, you might find a favorite show to watch on weekends so that you and others can enjoy some quality time together.
It’s a good idea to have a book nearby as well. Reading can help you unwind and allow you to feel like you are part of a world where nothing is really important. Whether you are reading a good book about nature, history, psychology, romance, or any other subject, you can learn a lot of valuable things from reading, while keeping yourself busy.
Take That Time for Yourself
It can be exciting to explore different activities for those who like to be alone. It can be easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life and forget how great it feels to be able to just sit back and enjoy the fresh air and let it all pass you by. You don’t have to always have to be an active person to enjoy the quiet and solitude of a retreat – simply taking the time to focus and read your favorite books can be an enjoyable way to relax in the privacy of your own home.
These are just a few ideas to think about when it comes to activities for those who like to be alone. By spending some time doing different things that you enjoy, you can make sure that your mental health and self love are at an all time high.
Few of us follow a healthy eating plan all the time. While you should try your best to keep a healthy diet, due to mental ill health and/or life trauma, some people go on to develop eating disorders as a result (such as anorexia and bulimia).
There are a wide range of eating disorders that sprout from a wide range of mental, emotional, and environmental issues. If you have an eating disorder, it is important to get to the root of the psychological aspect and take steps to move towards recovery.
Here are some things you can do.
Keep a Journal
You may have already tried using a food journal to track everything you eat, your calories, your macros, your weight, your water intake, exercise, or any combination of the above. Unfortunately, many people feel that this type of journal causes them to obsess over what they’re eating. This can actually be detrimental to recovery unless carefully supervised by a doctor or therapist.
However, journalling can still be helpful. Instead of focusing on calories or other factors in your food, take a look at yourself and how you feel about your food instead. For example, you might notice trends in your eating habits. Are there some foods or meals you’re avoiding altogether? Why? You can write about how you felt before, during, and after eating. This could include how you felt physically—hunger, pain—or emotionally. Finally, you might notice certain triggers that affect your eating habits.
With this information, you can get a good idea of whats going on, what might be causing the disorder, and what to do to help your mental health. Your journal should feel safe and supportive in your journey towards good health again.
Avoid parts of food journalling that make you feel unsafe. You may need to talk with your therapist to find a good balance.
Consult a Therapist
As mentioned above, a therapist can be very helpful in helping you provide insight and guidance in overcoming your eating disorder. If you can, try to find a therapist who specialises in eating disorders. They can help you identify emotional or environmental issues that may be triggering your eating disorder. Additionally, they will likely be able to recommend certain steps to help you break unhealthy eating habits. Not every tip or idea will work for everyone, so you and your therapist will have to work together to identify what works for you, what doesn’t, and what is counter-productive.
Talk to Your Doctor
If you don’t already know what category your eating disorder falls under, your doctor may be able to advise you. They will look at factors like your medical history, family history, and associated factors. The doctor might recommend certain types of testing or procedures to learn more about your eating habits- including blood tests and your BMI. They may also recommend certain diet changes or plans to help you reach healthier eating habits and improve your mental wellbeing.
Explore Treatment Options
As you learn more about your situation, you can look into possible treatment options for eating disorders that could help you to deal with and overcome the problem. Nutritional guidance, weight management programs, and support groups are common ways of helping people to recovery.
Eating disorders can cause many difficulties especially when you are feeling low or your mental health is declining. That is why its so important to find out the source of your eating disorder so it can be effectively treated and overcome. Learn all you can, consult professionals, and if it is available for you, join an eating disorder treatment program to achieve your goals back to health.
This article was written by freelance writer Anita Ginsburg
This is a difficult time for many people’s mental health. The 2020 coronavirus and Covid-19 pandemic has been completely unexpected and has taken up the most part of most of our lives and conversations throughout the past year. Massive changes have taken place that can all impact mental health, ranging from fear of the virus to difficulties with social isolation, difficulties with social distancing and difficulties with job losses, financial instability, reduced income and troubles keeping up with financial commitments.
The list goes on and on. But chances are the people often hardest hit by this virus are the elderly. Even those who do not battle the virus itself have had to lead more sheltered and isolated lives since the start of the year and, if you have an elderly loved one in your life, it’s important to do your utmost to help them right now. Here are some suggestions that can help you to achieve this!
Make Sure They Have the Most Up to Date Information
The first step that you need to take for your loved one during this pandemic is to make sure that they have the most up to date information on the virus, current guidelines, current restrictions and any other useful information.
The rules and the regulations that we are living by are all changing on a really regular basis and it can be hard for the elderly to keep up. Bear in mind that many of us get our news updates from social media and online news apps. The elderly often rely on newspapers, which only arrive once a day and which they may not actually be able to get their hands on while they are isolating. The radio can help too. Make sure that they are in the know to make sure they feel comfortable and know what’s going on.
Check In On Elderly Relatives in Care Homes
Sure, many elderly people are in care homes where you are not able to visit them right now. This reduces virus spreading. But you should still check in on them. Most care homes will take care of your loved one well. But there have been instances of neglect or misconduct throughout this pandemic and you’re going to want to call your loved one and check everything is okay. If there are any issues, you may need to reach out to a nursing home abuse attorney.
Buy and Deliver Their Essentials for Them
If your loved ones still live in their own homes independently, you may need to get their essentials for them and drop them off on their doorstep. This minimises contact with them, but also ensures that they have the food that they need, the medication that they need, the toiletries that they need and the cleaning products that they need. Many are unable to head to the shops themselves – especially if it means taking public transport.
Now can be a hard time for the elderly and the pandemic could be taking its toll on their mental health. But by following the steps above, you can help to give them peace of mind and reduce their stressors.
If you have ever experienced the serious illness or passing away of somebody close to you, you will know that this is a seriously difficult time for your own mental health. When we lose a family member, friend or partner, the grief process is long and arduous. When somebody dies in our community, we sometimes focus on taking care of others, trying to help them through the tough time without thinking much about our own wellbeing. Similarly, death brings up all sorts of logistical obstacles such as funeral arrangements, will-reading and sifting through the person’s belongings.
Even if the person who has passed was sick for a while, elderly, being given live in care or other assisted living arrangements, death still comes as a shock. If you have experienced this, you will know that this is a highly overwhelming time both practically and emotionally. So how can you take care of your own mental wellbeing when this happens?
Grieving is a time to look inward, as well as outward to the future. In this blog, you will find some common mental health troubles that are experienced during grief, and how best to work through them.
The Mind and Body Connection
Many people believe that mental health issues are completely separate to physical health problems or side effects. However, science disagrees. It is clinically proven that mental illness and trauma can manifest themselves in our physical bodies. It is important to remember that if you are experiencing grief, although this is seen as a purely emotional thing to happen, you could experience physical symptoms too. This is totally normal, and it is important to recognise when these things happen so you can best cope with these changes.
The Shock of Absence
One of the things that makes us feel the rawest and most difficult emotions is the sheer shock of losing a loved one. One minute they are alive in the world, the next they have moved on. The shock of the absence of this person can have seriously detrimental effects on your mental health, which can also bleed out into physical symptoms. Some of these effects might be:
Loss of sleep. Sometimes when we are in emotional shock, despite wanting to sleep, we can’t seem to let our mind relax enough to fall into slumber.
Excessive sleep. On the other hand, some people’s bodies react in the opposite way, by sleeping through the day as a way of escaping reality.
Wildly varying emotions. You may experience a feeling like you can’t control your emotions or find stability within them. This is normal. Your body can’t feel full-strength emotions constantly, so it’s totally normal to have varied emotions at this time.
Picking up the phone to contact the person, or referring to them as if they are still alive by accident. This is very common, and can make you very upset when reality hits. When you are so used to a person being in your life, your brain is wired to consider them alive and well, and so it will take a long time to readjust to the new reality. When these moments occur, try not to get angry with yourself, but instead try your best to accept it as a process of adjustment.
Not eating or overeating. If you have an emotional connection to food, you may find that you lean on your eating habits as a coping mechanism. This could be eating less than usual, or relying on food for comfort. People will tell you that this is unhealthy, you can’t expect to be perfect when you are dealing with trauma like this. As long as you don’t take these comfort habits to a dangerous extreme, these can be relied upon through the grief process. If you feel this getting out of hand, you can use eating disorder helplines and therapy programs.
Feeling joyless. When something bad happens, we usually defer back to the things that make us happiest. Our kids, our best friends, favourite movies, pets, yummy snacks… You name it, we seek it out when we feel blue. But losing a loved one can cause us to lose joy, even for the things that make our hearts happy most of the time. This can last a while.
Having intense, vivid dreams. When somebody we love dies, it makes sense that they are on our mind most of the time in the beginning stages of coping without them. When we dream, it is our brain’s way of leaking all the information and emotions that it has processed during the day; when we experience something traumatic or particularly intense, our brains sometimes can’t fully process it all at once. Hence, you are likely to have some intense dreams about the person – or even lots of crazy dreams about other things!
(image: Pexels)
Coping With These Effects
The above are only a small number of the wide range of emotions and physical sensations that can come with grief. So what can you do about it? Here are some solutions to the feelings you are experiencing, to try to make the transitional stages of grief easier. Although this time will always be hard, there are ways to alleviate some of the stress you are feeling.
Seek Grief Counselling
If you have never been to see a therapist before or find the prospect daunting, this is to be expected. After all, counselling or talking therapy requires you to be vulnerable in front of someone who will be, at first, a total stranger. However, grief counselling will allow you to express your emotions without judgement – but even more than that, the therapist will give you tools with which to manage your stress and sadness. These can be breathing exercises, ways of staying connected to the person, techniques to help you sleep better and routine-based activities to keep you ticking over. You can get one-on-one counselling or group therapy sessions with others experiencing similar loss.
Hold your loved ones close.
Grief sometimes propels people into a state of isolation. After all, it feels like nobody can be feeling what you feel, so some people react to this by shutting others out. If this is a tendency you are familiar with, make sure you work actively to combat it. Your desire to lock others away from your emotions is stopping you from getting the support you need. Start by reaching out to one – just one – person in your life who you trust. From there, you can gradually build a support network.
Try to spark joy, even if it doesn’t work.
Even if you feel joyless, the search for joy should be constant. Try new ways of sparking tiny moments of happiness, even if it fades away in a split second. This could be through sex, food, seeing friends, playing video games, going for walks alone, or watching your favourite films. You can’t expect all the bad feelings to disappear, but you could be distracted from them just for a moment, giving your brain and body some much-needed relief.
4. Try talking to the person, if you want to.
Many people shy away from this for fear that they might look “crazy”. But there’s nothing “crazy” about wanting to feel connected to a person you have lost. If speaking to them helps, then try doing it. There is no shame in maintaining a spiritual connection.
Grief is a horrible thing to feel, and no amount of fun activities or therapy will totally eradicate those feelings. However, with time, persistence and kindness to yourself, you can learn to cope better with the aftermath of losing someone close to you.
So last night, I was sat in the bath contemplating life. How far things had come since the start of Covid 19 lockdown in March. How my life has changed for the better in so many ways.
In February, I began a job that was full time and very busy doing marketing for a newspaper in an office. This was after leaving another job in PR that I loved but had to leave due to my anxiety . In all honesty, we needed the salaried income and I had the technical and people skills to pull it off. However, what I didn’t have was good mental health.
As many of you know, when I was 16, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and developed social anxiety and panic attacks. I spent time in hospital as a teenager and was an outpatient for 10 years (although very up and down with my moods, with moments of stability). Since 2014, I have developed a form of PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder, due to the trauma I faced in hospital when I was sectioned for a bipolar episode.
As a result, my mental health was hanging by a thread but I was attempting to live a normal life and work and feel better.
In truth, the workplace had become a great source of stress for me. Traditional workplaces have a ‘show up despite how you feel and we will monitor all your sick days’ policy. This doesn’t work for someone like me with a chronic mental illness. Allowances can’t be made for me despite the law- adjustments can be made but traditional employers want you to be OK and in the office where they can see you and don’t cut you slack either if your health disrupts office attendance.
In February, I suffered such bad panic attacks (whole body feeling fear, insomnia, racing heart, flight or fight, sweats and negative fearful thoughts) about having to show up and prove myself and my ability- that I had to leave the job after a week. I couldn’t get into the office. There was no real empathy- it was- you aren’t here, you’re unreliable, goodbye.
Then Covid struck.
I needed something for me that I could do from home. Something where I could be self employed, where I could work with people who understood that sometimes we all have bad days, we all have to pace ourselves. That it isn’t about ability or disability. In the right environment, everyone can thrive. Everyone can work hard. Everyone can achieve.
No more counting sick days. This was about how well I could do, how hard I could work (I am nothing if not a hard worker) , how much I could achieve and most importantly- going slowly to protect my mental health.
My blogging friend Sarah Cardwell who I met through Twitter and who has written for this blog, had reached out to me in 2019 to join the Body Shop at Home. I had been following her amazingly successful journey- she started her business from home while anxious and not leaving the house. Sarah has been very open about her own difficulties with mental illness but she has achieved more than you can even dream of!
I was scared. I was used to being monitored at work. Having to endlessly discuss the reasons why I missed a morning or full day of work due to my panic disorder. Having to go to review meetings and make targets to improve my attendance or back to work interview meetings. Having to prove that despite having all the skills (including getting my masters degree at 24) , being a published author and freelance journalist, a social media expert and blogger, I still wasn’t deemed good enough because I wasn’t ‘well enough’ on a daily basis with my anxiety to be able to always make it in to the office (and work from home wasn’t seen as good enough even though I hit targets).
I was really terrified to take the leap. I had never worked in retail. I had worked in social media marketing and blogging so I knew that I could create something online. I didn’t have much choice. I had just lost my main income (I earn money from my book and blog but it isn’t enough to live on). Covid was looming. We went into lockdown. We lost a flat we were going to buy because I lost my job.
I didnt know until recently that Sarah was worried that lockdown could mean that the Body Shop at Home would struggle. But what happened was, it thrived!
Set up by Dame Anita Roddick as a way to give people an income around their children, the Body Shop at Home is the direct selling arm of the Body Shop.
Since March, there has been a growth of over 700%, and records are being broken in this industry. The shift to online, contact free and direct shipping delivery has meant that the business has thrived.
I didn’t know what to expect.
I set up my Facebook group and I was loving sharing the products with friends and family, taking my first orders and pampering myself with the beauty kit (it really is a speical kit).
I enjoyed being a part of a new community of friendly, warm and welcoming people- people from all walks of life, genders, ages, with chronic illness and without. There is every kind of person in the Body Shop at Home.
I belong to Region Purpose- Sarahs region as this business gave her a purpose after she had been unwell and she now has a hugely successful full time business.
Shortly after joining and selling £400 in my first month, then £1000 in my second (that was such an amazing feeling), I realised quite quickly I wanted to be a Manager and set up a team- recruiting is hard but worth it to find the right people (and I have been led to them!).
Body Shop was giving me hope- when life had got dark. It gave me something back for myself and to now help and mentor others. I became a Manager in Training with my first 3 recruits and then in August I promoted to be Area Manager of my team, Team Hope. There are now 11 of us from all over the country and we are growing fast- shout out to my team members, who are now friends! I aim to make this my full time business.
I am so grateful to Sarah for persisting with me even when I was unsure.
Since joining Body Shop, my anxiety attacks have lesssened and I engage in regular therapy sessions for them. I take next to no sick days because I am able to run my own workload and help others. I get up excited about the day and week ahead.
Today I woke up to receive an envelope with a rainbow necklace (the sign of our region) and the words from the Wizard of Oz, sent to me and others in our region. The support is just incredible. I would like to end on these words sent to me by my incredible manager who has helped me (and this is no exaggeration) to find my self worth again.
beurownlight.com 