Category: Wellbeing and self-care

In the past two years, thanks to numerous bank holidays, many workers in the United Kingdom have engaged in a practice that has shown dramatic benefits for our mental health, work-life balance, and overall wellbeing: a four-day workweek. 

Too often, people experiencing anxiety are dismissed as being ‘just’ sensitive or told that they are ‘just’ worrying. Em shares her experience of the debilitating effect that anxiety can have on someone’s life, affecting everything from daily tasks to participating in the hobbies you love. Em reminds us of the legitimacy of the experience of anxiety and to never dismiss someone’s journey with anxiety.

Anxiety can present itself in many different ways for us all, and we have different ways of coping with symptoms and managing our mental health. We spoke to Josh and Mellissa, who told us their unique experiences with anxiety and poor mental health, and how exercise and cycling helped them both to improve their mood and ease feelings of anxiety.

Health anxiety is a lesser spoken about condition that can have a severe impact on someone’s life. The anxiety that you’re going to get unwell or that you are unwell can cause daily life to consist of panic and fear. We spoke to Lillian about her experience with health anxiety and how she reached out for support.

There’s ways we can support our mental health all year round, but how can we use our current environment and the seasons to tailor how we look after our wellbeing? We’re exploring some tips on how we can use the arrival of spring to boost our mood and connect with the outdoors and others.

Christmas is the time of year when we’re expected to be our merriest and most joyful. There are friends and family to see, and a wealth of opportunities to have fun and let loose. For some of us, our reality during the festivities is far from this. It can be a stressful time of year with family duties, financial strain, pressure to keep to traditions and tricky logistics. It can also bring up some difficult emotional experiences, such as trauma and grief. So, how can we navigate these challenges and protect our mental health?

Although the wintertime can be a time for celebration, festivities, and socialising, for many people it can also induce feelings of loneliness, stress, and anxiety. With our physical environment also changing around us, with shorter days and less sunlight, we might need to take extra care to monitor our mental health over these colder months. 

Fundraiser, Luke Hamer tells us why putting his mental health first made him stronger – as part of our World Mental Health Day campaign encouraging people to make their mental health a priority.

Tying in with our World Mental Health Day campaign encouraging people to make their mental health a priority, our colleague Gemma tells us why looking after her mental health is integral to her quality of life.