Lockdown has been a struggle for many people. Not being able to go about our lives as usual can be stressful, but there’s also the issue of who you find yourself in lockdown with. Many people are finding themselves locked in their home with a partner or family member they Read more…
Things have been fairly strange for everyone lately, but any time of stress or uncertainty can take its toll on our mental health. Now more than ever, it’s really important to keep an eye on our wellbeing and to do what we can to protect our mental health. Here are Read more…
I recently finished reading this book by Bronnie Ware; she was a nurse caring for people at the end of their lives, and wrote this book listing the top five things most of her clients said they regretted. The book is about so much more than that, and definitely worth Read more…
Looking for podcasts for kids? You’ve come to the right place! I love podcasts; I wrote a post a while ago listing my favourites. Not long ago it occurred to me that S may also enjoy listening to podcasts… little did I know just how much she would enjoy them! Read more…
I love podcasts, and listen to them every day. I feel like right now is a great opportunity to listen to even more of them, since many of us are off work right now. There are literally thousands of podcasts out there; whatever you’re into, there is bound to be Read more…
For as long as I can remember, I have disliked my body. Specifically: my belly. In fact, the only time in my entire life I can recall not making massive efforts to hide my body was when I was pregnant with S – because I knew my belly was supposed Read more…
I wrote a whole book about having a nervous breakdown… but the truth is that there’s no such thing. Wait, what? No such thing as a nervous breakdown? Yes, really. There’s no such thing. When I had a breakdown/lost my mind/went mad the official diagnosis on my sick note was Read more…
Often when I ask this question, people will respond with answers such as “an evening watching Netflix with a big tub of ice cream” or “a bottle of wine after dinner.” Those things are nice, and they definitely have their place – but I don’t think they’re necessarily self care. Read more…
It’s the weekend, a time when many of us breathe a sigh of relief and look forward to relaxing. A couple of days without the school run, the commute, college, work, whatever. But how many of us do actually make the time to really relax and recharge our batteries over Read more…
Finding “me time” as a single mum can be tricky; there’s always something that needs to be done, and it can be hard to prioritise self care over housework or the myriad other things on that endless to-do list. It’s important to take time for yourself each day though. When Read more…
Firstly: no, I’m not selling anything. This won’t cost you a penny unless you decide to buy something. First, let’s talk about the link between happiness and confidence. For me, these two are inextricably linked: when I feel happy, I feel more confident. And when I feel confident in a Read more…
How much water should we drink each day? There are numerous different answers to this question, depending on our activity levels, the weather, our weight and many other things. As a rough guide though, use the below formula to calculate how much water you need to drink in a day: Read more…
Christmas parties can be draining for introverts. At this time of year there is usually a lot going on. Work parties; family gatherings; get-togethers with friends, and let’s not even mention the added social engagements that come with having school-aged children! As an introvert, all that socialising can be draining Read more…
One of the biggest problems with any kind of mental health issue is that we often can’t bear to leave the house in order to get help. Some days we just can’t face going out of the front door, and so it can be hard to get any sort of Read more…
How do you wake up in the mornings? I’ve written posts before about how to be a morning person, and about morning routines… but then I started thinking about how important it is to wake up in the right way too. It’s all very well having a nice morning routine Read more…
I had an umbilical hernia repair with mesh in September 2017, having had a hernia and diastasis recti for five years. You can read about the diastasis and my experience during those five years here. I had an initial meeting with a consultant which was no longer than ten minutes; Read more…