I spent almost 50% of my time on this earth disguising, ignoring and waging war against my mind, which at times seemed hell bent on destroying every relationship, career and passion that I pursued.
I grew up in a country where a person’s emotional and mental wellbeing was rarely discussed and if it was it was in muted and hushed tones, silenced by the stigma that has torn apart families and homes throughout Ireland and beyond.
This stigma made it unexplainably difficult to seek the help and support that I no doubt needed and that would have allowed me to cope and manage my mental health illness. That stigma is slowly eroding and its vice grip clasp is loosening in society.
Repressed emotions and internalised pain are gradually being replaced by the normalisation of the conversation surrounding the subject, and people are now willing to look for more effective ways to cope and improve their holistic wellness. People are looking to relate to other people’s stories that resonate with their own.
The evidence of peer to peer social support is becoming more and more apparent in society as schools, colleges and work places invest in the education and awareness of wellbeing. People are beginning to recognise that investing in their wellness from a rounded perspective – body, mind, spirit and the external environments we live within – can benefit all aspects of their lives, from professional, to private, to their passions.
Businesses are recognising that employee welfare is not only a moral requirement, but also an economic and financial one. Schools are recognising that they can highlight more effective coping strategies for their pupils. People with or without emotional wellbeing issues are seeing that investment in their mental and physical fitness has profound positive effects on their overall wellness.
People are seeing their relationships with loved ones strengthening, while others recognise the support, compassion and empathy that is out there for those that require a shoulder to lean on.
I want this website to be the go to platform to all of you looking to improve your holistic wellness. I want it to help educate people on how the mind and body can be made more resilient and able to cope with our sometimes difficult, frightening but often wonderful world, using accessible and practical language, tips, suggestions and programmes, allowing people to explore the most effective methods for them to improve their lives.
I want the site to be a resource for those of you looking to dive deep inwards, exploring aspects of soul, however that might resonate with you, as well looking outwards at the bigger picture, our society, the systems and environments we operate within.
I want to highlight the inspiring, harrowing and empowering stories of people who had to have had to invest courageously in themselves as well as showcasing positive solutions that are happening every single day throughout this country.