Rapper and musician Nick Brewer has suffered anxiety since childhood. He found a lot of peace in reading, as well as being able to escape from his worries. When his father gave him a rap CD, it connected with him, and how he could tell his own story and make sense of his thoughts. “Writing […]
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Rapper, musician and mental health campaigner, Nick Brewer
Author and journalist on happiness,
Author and journalist Oliver Burkeman reminds us that what will be pleasurable and fun for us isn’t always easy at the beginning: think of it as weight training, and do a little more every day at the point where it’s a tiny bit more uncomfortable than you’d choose. “The advice you don’t want to hear […]
Sing loud, sing proud, sing together, George Bell
Music brings us huge benefits, especially around confidence and engagement, says On:Song co-founder George Bell. “When we sing with the correct diaphragmatic breathing, we feel clearer and more awake. It gives us the opportunity to mindfully reconnect with ourselves through the simple act of singing.” It also makes groups feel more connected, he says. “Not […]
Don’t suffer in silence, Jack Fowler & Marcus Tisson
Love Island star and mental health campaigner Jack Fowler and Don’t Suffer In Silence co-founder Marcus Tisson discuss the pressure to “man up” and how they want to open up discussion over mental health issues and suicide after Marcus lost his mother.
Master your meaning, Jon Duschinsky
“What is purpose?” asks social innovator Jon Duschinsky. It’s not only the thing that “lights us up”; it’s also the determination to do something about it. We have got really good at believing things have to be a certain way, but when you strip all those assumptions away, it’s scary. “But that’s the journey we […]
Forgiveness brings us peace, Swati Dlamini
Swati Dlamini, granddaughter of Nelson and Winnie Mandela, vowed to carry her grandparents’ work and values with her through her life. “One of the great lessons I learned from my grandfather was one of forgiveness. Forgiveness is for me to have peace, and not being imprisoned by what others have done.” During the pandemic, she […]
Loving the skin you’re in, Eryca Freemantle
As a child, Eryca Freemantle was bullied at school for being different, and remembers the constant feeling of heaviness and sadness. Home was her safe space. But when a life-changing accident left her with serious facial scarring from burns, those memories of childhood bullying came back. After suffering a breakdown, having suicidal thoughts and finally […]
Tomorrow might be great, Josh Zitser
Josh Zitser was always a deeply sensitive child, but when a teenage friend took her own life, he suffered depression, panic attacks and an eating disorder. But it took a while for him to realise his feelings weren’t the same as everyone else. Josh has had suicidal thoughts, but recent therapy has changed his life. […]
From tragedy, comes hope, Orin Lewis
When Beverley De-Gale’s son Daniel was diagnosed with leukaemia for the second time in 1995, he needed a stem cell transplant to survive. But stem cell matches outside of the family are race-related, and the chance of finding a match was 1 in 250,000. The match was found, but it was too late, and Daniel […]
Don’t run away from panic, Joshua Fletcher
After suffering from anxiety, culminating in a full-blown panic attack at work, Joshua Fletcher studied how he could effectively treat himself. His best advice was “stop trying to fix yourself” which was genuinely liberating. He qualified as a psychotherapist and founded The Panic Room. Josh encourages people just to experience their panic. He says the […]
Reclaiming myself after addiction, Talitha Fosh
Psychotherapist Talitha Fosh is an addict. “The way that my mind works is what makes me an addict,” she says. It started with an eating disorder when she was 14, comparing herself to others, and it spiralled out of control quickly. Then Tally found alcohol and drugs. “I didn’t like who I was when I […]
Music, mental health and me, Jack Williamson
After his brother took his own life, music executive Jack Williamson started to question his purpose and his drive. Artist management was taking its toll on his mental health, and he realised there was a need in the music industry to provide early onset mental health support. Since then, Music and You, which Jack founded […]