01 Jul Series 2. Episode 1: Recognition

Learning How To Live is back for a second series. Sound the fanfare! Release the confetti canons!

In this limited series (a fancy way of saying it isn’t going to be very long, I am getting better at managing my resources and not overcommitting!) I am going to be taking a deep dive into my book How Not To Be Good (released 2019). Why now? You may well be asking. Let me explain…

How Not To Be Good chronicles my journey with anxiety, from recognising I was ill, through diagnosis, identifying the mindsets and circumstances that made me ill in the first place, and finally figuring out how to recover.

Here in 2021, as we slowly emerge from the grip of Covid-19 and start to understand the affects of living through this global pandemic, many people have been and are experiencing heightened anxiety. Some for the first time.

(Also, Brene Brown has just released a series working through her first book, and I thought, ‘if it’s good enough for Brene, it’s good enough for me!’.)

In this limited series I will talk candidly about my experiences with anxiety, shining a light on the particulars of what it is to suffer and how it affected my life. I want to discuss the details, the bits other people may not explore. My hope is through this in-depth look at my experiences it may open up revelation and awareness, and hopefully make you realise you are not alone. I will be as honest as I can in the hope of bringing some comfort, and strategies for managing life as we stagger out of what has been a truly exhausting and depleting season.

In this episode I am discussing how I ended up with a diagnosis at 30, the practical and physical circumstances that pre-empted it because  before we can access any help or start the path to recovery we need to acknowledge where we are.

If this episode has whet your appetite and you would like to read the book where I tell my story in full, you can purchase a copy here.

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If you are struggling I promised to link to some sites that may be helpful.

A good place to start can be to contact your local GP to talk to them about how you are feeling, they may well be able to signpost you to some local support, or support that meets you needs specifically.

Websites that have resources and contact details to support those struggling with their mental health include:

• MIND,
• The Mental Health Foundation,
• CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably – specifically aimed at young men.)
• Maternal Mental Health Alliance (specifically for Mums in pregnancy or early years)