Each week we publish blog posts on a whole range of topics, relating in some way to mental health — written by Mind staff, service users and health and policy professionals. Some blog posts may not reflect official Mind policy.
We welcome comments and questions on our posts, but have a few ground rules to keep the site welcoming and interesting to every body. The first rule is the most important: be respectful of other commenters and bloggers.
Ruth writes about People in Mind, an oral history project and exhibition marking 25 years of Mind in Bexley.
6 CommentsIlona reviews The Happy Depressive: In Pursuit of Personal and Political Happiness, a new ebook examining the nature of happiness from a personal and political perspective, by Mind ambassador Alastair Campbell.
The same year that I was born, Alastair Campbell had a breakdown. We could well have been in hospital at the exact same time; me facing life for the first time, and him facing up to what his life had become. We both had a lot to learn.
2 CommentsMind member Selina writes about the ups and downs of life in 2011, and looks forward to 2012.
As 2011 drew to a close, I couldn't wait to get off the rollercoaster. It was one hell of a ride. I can't decide if it was the best or worst year of my life.
7 CommentsWith only three days till Christmas, Mark writes about the festive "rollercoaster of stress and excitement" and how to cope when you're feeling overwhelmed.
I don’t know anyone who finds Christmas relaxing. People either ride the rollercoaster of stress and excitement, or find themselves accused of being a Scrooge.
3 CommentsFor contemporary artist Dale Grimshaw, painting has been a lifesaver. Here, he writes about how painful early experiences inform his work.
Readers may find some sections of this blog triggering.
This guest blog post by Eugene Farrell, is part of our series on mental health at work for Mind's Taking care of business campaign.
Looking after the physical and psychological health of employees should be of paramount importance to employers. The people who work for them are arguably their most important asset and should be looked after. It’s just good business sense. Physical and psychological health are equally important, as indeed are the working environment and the job. Employers should be vigilant in safeguarding their employees.
2 CommentsOn a visit to a local Mind a couple of weeks ago, I met Helen (not her real name) who told me about some of her mental health experiences. She started having problems when she was at school, but nobody thought about mental health, so she was put down as the “class oddball”.
13 CommentsLast week I attended Mind’s mental health awareness training (many thanks to Alex from Hammersmith and Fulham Mind for an excellent day). The training covered a wide range of topics from what is mental health to presenteeism to interventions and support. There were too many things to condense into a single blog post so forgive me for pulling out just one key topic: what is mental health.
4 CommentsWell, 2011 has leapt upon us and at this time it's all about new year’s resolutions.
10 CommentsFor my final blog of 2010 I thought I would pick a seasonal topic. With the weather having taken a turn for the worse in the build up to Christmas and the whole country affected by the snow I have taken quite a few calls that have highlighted the problems it can cause for people. I have spoken to several people this week who have been affected by the lack of their usual support network, due to the severity of the snow in some areas of the country.
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I have been working on the Mind infoline for about nine months now. Recently we have been receiving lots of calls from people who are really worried about the proposed changes to the welfare system.
12 CommentsThis weekend marks the start of Time to Get Moving week where thousands of people across England will get together to get active and challenge mental health discrimination. Mind volunteer Andy talks about the benefits exercise has made to his own mental health.
2 CommentsIt’s 8am and I’m on holiday. The temperature is already climbing to the mid 70s. And I’m running down a track surrounded by olive trees and being chased by a couple of friendly(ish) dogs.
2 CommentsAt the time it seemed like such a ludicrous idea. Having been diagnosed as suffering from depression and anxiety in mid-September last year, when a friend of mine suggested in early October that I ought to look at joining a gym I could not think of anything I would be less likely to do.
13 Comments"Why?" My friend asked me as I told him I'd entered the Royal Parks Half Marathon "you hate running".
"Why?" Asked my colleague as she printed off the training schedule and looked at me rather nervously. I have to admit as I got up at 6am yesterday to go on a training run (well training jog would be more accurate) that I was thinking the same thing. I'm not exactly built like Mo Farah, Britain's latest athletic hero, I do a busy full time job and have a family. Finding time for anything is a challenge, let alone a challenge of this scale…
But there's a wave of athleticism in Mind at the moment, with our hard-working staff doubling up as fundraisers and literally supporting the cause every minute of the day - my colleague Becky is training to swim a mile in Lake Windermere (I didn't even get my 50 metres badge – this is serious commitment). Our Media Officer Vicki is cycling to Paris, and Head of Policy Vicki also doing the Royal Parks. So what's going on?
Well, here are five reasons why entering the Royal Parks Half Marathon is a great idea:
I've been to a number of London Marathons to watch and thank our Mind runners – now this is serious and fantastic commitment from people who just want to help us. I'm totally in awe of them, but also felt I should play my own small part. Leading from the front if you like – although in this case it's rather more like leading from the back.
And as I was puffing my way around the Bunny Park in Hanwell, I could begin to see the attraction of running, but also the scale of the task ahead of me.....
Paul Farmer is Mind's Chief Executive. He'll be blogging regularly during the run up to the big event. If you want to join Paul and hundreds of other runners at the Royal Parks Half Marathon, you can join the Mind team by signing up here.
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