Post University Lessons I’ve Learned

The period after graduation was a rather difficult one for me. Reading on, you’ll soon discover the reasons why, but there’s a few lessons I’ve learned that I wanted to share for my post today. In hindsight, I wish I knew these things when I was 21 and fresh out of the graduation ceremony! Hopefully […]

Going to University with Your Partner

Compared to most, I had a rather unconventional university experience. For most students, going to university is all about independence. You say goodbye to your family and friends, and at the beginning, you’re pretty much on your own. However, moving into halls means you soon find your feet in a new social group, and before […]

How to Deal with Homesickness: 6 Tips for Your First Year Away From Home

One thing that a lot of freshers struggle with during their first year is homesickness. Whether or not you care to admit it, I think we all end up feeling it every now and then. No matter how many people you surround yourself with in that first year, feeling homesick is incredibly common. In fact, […]

Emetophobia and My Relationship with Food

Warning: You may find this post triggering if you suffer with emetophobia.  I have emetophobia. If you’re not sure what that is, it’s the fear of vomiting and seeing others be sick. Now, before I hear you cry “but no one likes being sick!” let me inform you that it’s so much more than just […]

Why Group Work at University Should Be Abolished #ThatsMyOpinion

I loved cracking on with a good project at university. I loved putting my organisation skills to work and seeing everything come together. What I didn’t love however, was group work. I’m sure I’m not the only one when I say that group work at university was well and truly the bain of my life. I always had some pretty strong opinions when it came to group work, but I always kept them under wraps.

5 Easy Self Care Tips

Self care is a phrase that we see quite a bit lately. This Psychology Today article defines it simply as you taking care of you. But why is it so important? Mental health charity Mind says that self care techniques, along with general lifestyle changes can help us to manage mental health problems and the […]

Managing IBS at University

IBS. It’s not a condition that we feel we can easily talk about. Yet 10-20% of people in the UK suffer from it. Let’s face it, us British folk can often get quite squeamish when it comes to talking about poo. Pardon the pun, but that’s a load of crap. With such a significant amount […]

Anxiety Essentials I Can’t Live Without

Over the years I’ve accumulated a number of anxiety essentials that I find useful or comforting during a panic attack. These range from things to help with the general symptoms I get to a few things that are useful for distracting me. Most of them I try and keep in my bag with me, or […]

Facing My Fears

As it’s Halloween, I thought today I’d share with you a few experiences of where I faced up to some of my fears. Both of my fears I’m going to talk about today are related to my vomit phobia, but through persuasion and if we’re honest, a bit of FOMO, I’ve managed to come face […]

Lessons I Learned at University

In July this year, it was 6 years since I graduated from university. It feels weird to think that I’ve now been adulting for that long. When is it acceptable to stop calling yourself a graduate? Asking for a friend. Anyone who knows me will know that I did not enjoy university. Well, there were […]

Mental Health During the Festive Season: Top 5 Ways You Can Support a Loved One This Christmas

Amy writes: This year has flown by, and we’ll soon be entering the festive season. While for most of us, the Christmas period is a wonderful time where we enjoy spending time with family, eating and drinking too much, and exchanging gifts. However, for a number of us, the festive season can be incredibly difficult.

Why Medication Was the Best Decision I Ever Made

In June 2016, I reluctantly made the decision to start taking medication for my OCD. I’ve openly discussed it with my mental health related posts, but I haven’t actually talked about the reasons why I left it for so long. For today’s post, I’m going to talk a little more about it, along with how […]

Self Care TV: 5 Shows to Watch When You’re Feeling Like Crap

I struggle with self care. There’s a number of reasons why that is – finding the time is definitely the main one. I often feel guilty when it comes to taking some time out for myself. Mainly because I know there’s so many other things that I ought to be doing. One half of my […]

Festive Anxiety: 5 Tips to Manage Your Nerves During the Party Season

The party season can often put immense pressure on all of us. Whether you end up feeling overwhelmed with the amount of stuff you’ve got on, or you’re anxious about something in particular, festive anxiety is increasingly common. My OCD means I’m no stranger to anxiety during the party season, but mine mainly revolves around […]

19 Lessons I’ve Learned in 2019

It’s shocking to think that 2019 has come to an end. This year has flown by and it doesn’t even feel like we’ve just seen the end of Christmas. 2019 has been a fairly difficult year all round, and I certainly feel as though my anxiety has taken a bit of a hit. From house […]

Five of My Favourite Reads From 2019

I got back into reading a few years ago, and I found that it’s been really effective in helping me with my anxiety. I find that if I’m in an endless anxiety spiral, picking up a book is actually super helpful. It means I have to focus on what I’m reading as opposed to what […]

How to Survive Freshers Week: Lessons I Learned in My First Year

If you’ve read my previous posts, you’ll know that I didn’t really have the traditional freshers week experience. Moving straight into a flat with my partner meant that I didn’t experience what a ‘typical freshers week’ was like.

Six Mental Health Books You Should Add to Your Wishlist

Mental health is without a doubt my favourite genre when it comes to books. Since I started studying psychology back when I did my A-levels, I became fascinated by the topic of mental health. Without reading too much into it, after the subsequent few years, I think it may have been because deep down, I […]

Things OCD Sufferers Want You to Know

While it’s not something I bandy about 24/7, this past year I’ve been much more open about my OCD. However, one thing I’ve noticed is that despite being honest about my mental illness, there’s still some heavy stigma around it, along with those cliché responses that we all know and love. So, in the spirit […]

Why You Should Go Ahead and Book Your Cervical Screening Appointment

Cervical screening. It’s a five-minute test that could potentially save your life. Research by Public Health England (PHE) has found that 90% of women would be likely to take a test that prevents cancer. Despite this, 1 in 4 women in the UK fails to attend their appointment. The fact that screening is now at […]

Important Lessons I Learned From Working in Retail

So last year I left my job in retail after a total of 7 years. It all started as a job to give me some extra cash at uni, and it was my fallback when my lack of experience let me down in finding a job actually relevant to my degree. We all know that […]

The Anxious Person’s Guide to Starting a New Job

October marked a whole year since I started my current job. That’s genuinely insane. Who knew a job that started as an admin role would make me realise I want to write for a living? Of course, I’d still pick something that’s basically unattainable! Typical me. However, this time I genuinely want it enough though. […]

Dear Fourteen Year Old Me…

“Dear 14 Year Old Amy, You probably don’t recognise me. I’m you, 13 years from now. Right now you’re madly in love with Dec (yes, from Ant and Dec), and obsessed with Scrubs and Frasier.” *Please be advised this post contains some curse words* When I first started writing, I spent a while looking for […]

Student Mental Health Tips: 5 Ways to Look After Your Mental Health at University

University can be an incredibly stressful time. Whether you’re a first year trying to find your feet or a third year powering through on your final exams, the pressure on students can get quite overwhelming. In fact, 1 in 4 students now experience mental health problems at university, a survey by Save the Student has […]

27 Lessons

Today I’m sharing a post that I wrote earlier this year on my 27th birthday. It’s one of my favourite posts that I’ve written in my last year of blogging – I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. It’s a list of 27 things I’ve learned in 27 years […]

How to Pass a Driving Test: My Tips for Anxious Learners

This time ten years ago, I never imagined passing my driving test. To be fair, I was right, as I didn’t actually pass until two years later. I had my first driving lesson in May 2009, and I eventually passed my test in September 2011. Two weeks before my theory test expired. I remember sitting […]