It’s that time of year – the clocks have gone back, it’s cold, and already getting dark on our commute home. Whilst many people moan about this time of year, for some it can trigger symptoms of low mood and depression. Seasonal Affective Disorder is defined as “a type of depression that comes and goes … Read more
I’m sure by now you’ll have heard of mindfulness. It seems to have exploded in popularity in recent years, and is recommended as everything from a cure for severe depression to improved concentration. Mindfulness can be described as being aware of the present, in particular how we feel on the inside. It generally involves bringing … Read more
Today, Tuesday 10th October is World Mental Health Day – a day aimed to raise awareness of current mental health issues affecting society. The theme this year is mental health in the workplace. I’ll start by asking you a question: Would you tell your boss you were going to take a day off work due … Read more
As of last week, I am no longer a full-time employed person. Instead, I’ll be continuing working two days a week as a Research Associate, whilst being a full time PhD student! This isn’t really something which I was expecting to happen this year, as it was never in my career plan to do a … Read more
You might have heard some of the negativity in the press recently about so called ‘clean eating’ and it’s advocates, who promote a lifestyle which involves cutting out any processed food and often entire food groups (gluten/dairy etc). This is not because of any medical reason, but simply just to be as ‘healthy’ as possible. … Read more
It’s a well known fact that a problem shared is a problem halved, right? But when you’re feeling down or worried sometimes talking about your feelings can seem too hard. For some people it could be easier to bury these feelings and try and carry on regardless, or for others admitting how they truly felt … Read more
This blog post was inspired by the recent London Marathon, who’s official charity was Head’s Together (a charity set up by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, which aims to reduce the stigma of mental illness) making it the first mental health marathon. As well as raising millions of pounds for charities … Read more
I’m sure you’ve all been there – earning a promotion, getting into uni or finding your dream job. All your hard work and sacrifices have paid off, and you should feel on top of the world. And for most of the time, you do. You feel happy and accept people’s congratulations of “I knew you … Read more
Today’s post is for eating disorder awareness week, which this year has a focus on early detection and intervention. Often, sufferers are unable to access treatment until they have been ill for some time, which makes recovery so much harder than if treatment happened once symptoms first began. As well as having obvious benefits for … Read more
In Theresa May’s recent speech to parliament she stated that she wanted to end the stigma of mental illness and improve the state of mental healthcare in the UK. As a researcher into mental health services for children and adolescents, I hear often about the struggle parents have to get an appointment for their child to … Read more