It's good to talk about mental health
This week is Mental Health Awareness week, with this year's focus being on stress.
We often struggle to talk about mental health here in the western world. So much of our lifestyles are about achievement, wealth, the latest tech, showing others how well we are doing.
In reality, our super connected lifestyle is often contributing to a super disconnected life.
Take a moment to ponder these thoughts:
The normality of social media in our lives means that we're rarely without a device in our hands, checking the latest Twitter, Facebook, Instagram posts and seeing how our own posts are being received.
Aside from the fact that this means we rarely switch off/power down, we are also being bombarded constantly with information which our brains have to process.
We see other people's lives in glorious technicolour - forgetting that they gloss over the bad bits. Everybody else seems to have their (insert swear word here for best effect) stuff in order, magnifying the fact that we don't.
It's now become the norm to connect with others through social media. That can be amazing - making new friends who we would otherwise not have come across. However, it also means that we lose the nuances of verbal conversation, and the connectivity of face to face.
Our society means that regardless of how we're really feeling, we usually pull on our big girls pants, put our best foot forward and tell the world how amazing life is. That's what's expected, isn't it?
Consider what this means for a moment.
The more mental health is discussed openly, the more you come across people you know (fun and positive people, with a seemingly perfect life) who have struggled with depression and feelings of anxiety or inadequacy. Sometimes, that leads to the tragedy of suicide, often by someone you would least expect.
The biggest battles faced by people are often the ones you never see. However, the more that mental health becomes an accepted topic of conversation and the more people open up to talk about their own experiences, the more it can help others feel less isolated and alone.
It also helps us to realise that life is not all sunshine and rainbows for everybody else all of the time.
So, whilst this site is all about inspiration and positivity and whilst you may see amazing pictures of the outdoors on my social media and read stories of adventurous days out, remember that it's not the full story.
There are days when I have no desire to get outdoors. There are days when I sit with a blank computer screen in front of me, wondering what on earth to write. There are days when working as a solo freelancer is isolating and lonely. There are days when I just can't be bothered.
Thankfully, those days are few and I have the great outdoors to give me perspective and time to disconnect from life.
"There is no wifi in the forest but you will find a better connection" Dr Joe Dispenza