Hi stranger, do you remember me? It's certainly been a while and I have to apologise for that. I was quite naive and certainly underestimated university. After the second week it went from 0 to 100 fast. I've got so much to do, so much to remember, lots of commute and late nights. I am knackered. I've been feeling guilty about how inactive I've been, I hate leaving my blog for so long because it's not only my passion, but somewhere to escape from the stress of life and to indulge into my interests. I'm going to be so much more organised now I've found my feet at university, I'll definitely have to plan ahead with posts to be on time. I promise from now on you'll be seeing much more of me again. Today I really wanted to talk about mental health awareness as it was world mental health day on Tuesday. Mental health is so important and should always be addressed, not ignored. So without further adieu... You're not Alone Mental health can be a personal battle, a war with yourself and a lot of people suffer alone. So many people feel ashamed or embarrassed about what they're going through because often mental health is ignored, as if it doesn't exist, but it does. Right now it is estimated that 1 in 6 people in the past week have experienced a common mental health problem and around 300 million people globally suffer with depression. I'm here to reassure you are not alone. You shouldn't have to ignore your mental health, it is an illness. Your mentality is so important, your brain needs care just as much as any other physical problem you encounter in your life. If you broke your leg, would you walk around pretending it didn't happen? If you are bleeding, would you pretend you hadn't noticed it? Of course you wouldn't. Your mental health matters, in fact I would argue it's more important than anything else. If you're suffering, feel lonely or need help there are so many options for you. Perhaps going to the doctors is too nerve-racking or even talking to your parents about it, especially as a teenager. At the end of the day you don't need to force yourself to talk to them if you don't want to. If you trust a friend, a teacher, go talk to them about what you can do. Nobody who cares about you will want you to suffer, always remember that. There are online services and 24 hour helplines for you. Remember your mental health can be tough, but can be treated. https://www.betterhelp.com/start/?help_with=Depression Zoella - Dealing with AnxietyThis particular women was a huge help for me. If I felt stressed, nervous or was having a tough time and feeling a bit lost, I knew that watching Zoella would completely relax me and make me feel much better. Sometimes taking a step back from reality and finding your comfort, something you can do or watch for leisure is important. For me it was YouTube and time with my family, for others it may be sport or going for a walk. Test out different options until you find one that suits you best. Never give up. I found listening to music extremely therapeutic, naturally. Another way I relax is through an app called Headspace. This was a life saviour especially during my A-Level exams. It really helps to calm your nerves and leaves you in a state of complete relaxation. I was in disbelief until I tried it properly and I was hooked for the whole of May and June. It only takes up 10 minutes of your day, so doing it at night or in the morning really isn't much to ask! Never Give up on YourselfI'm going to say it for third time to drill it in, NEVER GIVE UP ON YOURSELF. This is so important. Don't ever think that you're worthless because someone else thinks that you are amazing, don't ever think that you're not needed because even if you don't realise it, someone would suffer without you. You can be amazing, you can do anything. Your potential is endless. It might seem tough now, but the battle isn't over until you're happy. Theres been so many times where my confidence was knocked, where I felt I wasn't enough, where I've wanted the ground to literally swallow me up, but I've never gave up. You don't realise how strong you are until you have to be. You can always be a better version of yourself and you will continue to grow, years down the line you'll thank yourself for keeping on going. That's a promise. Looking back on myself, my confidence and self-worth has tripled compared to what it was two years ago. It's baby steps, there's still a while to go, but It's motivating to know how far I've come. If you know someone, a friend, a family member, anyone who is suffering from mental illness, it really doesn't take much to make their day. An invite, a coffee, a conversation can save lives. Remember we all have a personal battle and sometimes even you're closest friends that you think you know the most, just desperately need a hug, a shoulder to cry. It costs nothing to be kind.
Whatever you're going through... "Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, then it's not the end" x
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