I've been feeling a bit unusual the last few days. I know it's a lot of anxiety attributed to this pandemic. I also feel as though not all of it belongs to me. I'm worried for people I don't even know and it sits in my stomach like a little ball of dread. Winters can be strange. I find in January and February that my mood can get quite low. I imagine the added dreariness of a pandemic might magnify this experience, but I know I have the right people in my corner to help me through. 'Right' being the operative word as it leads me to something I've been thinking about as I scroll through a news feed full of wonderful advice and offerings of support.
Read moreI’ve lived with severe depression for over 20 years. It has been, and always will be, a lifelong battle.
One of the problems with mental health is that you don’t always realise that you’re ill until it’s got really bad, like having a cold that you didn’t realise was there until you start bubbling snot at every breath.
There’s that ping. It’s happening again, in front of your family, your parents, your kids – and you feel powerless to prevent it. Online bullying is nasty, insidious, and sometimes seems inescapable.
We’re seeing an increase in cyberbullying, and it’s not just among teenagers and school kids. Over a quarter of British adults report experiencing some form of online bullying – and it can leave people feeling just as upset, isolated and confused as face-to-face intimidation or insults.
The ancient practice of meditation may seem a little outdated in our modern, high tech world, but with the non-stop pace of life and constant information overload we receive daily, it feels like it’s never been more relevant or important. There’s even an app for it.
Seen by some as just hippy mumbo jumbo that monks in robes who have nothing better to do with their days than sit around doing nothing, meditation has been undergoing a renaissance in popularity recently as more and more people sit down, slow down and exercise their mind. Think of meditation as a gym workout for the brain.