Devon Maid is a story about my ongoing wellbeing journey and life in a rural playground
“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks” – Adventurer John Muir People tend to talk about walking as a way to ‘switch off’ but I see it as a way to switch on. I love walking for so many reasons. Health, nature, exploration, it’s an endless list. But I also […]
Read MoreDo you ever look back at yourself and wonder what the hell was going on? I do. Sometimes it’s not pretty either. In my drinking days, particularly in my 20s, you’d probably have looked at me and thought I was a laugh. Up for a good time. I see photos of a smiley girl with […]
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When a friendship causes more sorrow than it does joy, what do you do? As tough as it sounds, sometimes you have to ‘break up’ with a friend to protect yourself. This happened to me. I’d been pals with this person for a long time and we had a laugh through shared experiences. I thought […]
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It f*cks you up, running. It may not mean to, but it does. You know those people (me) who talk about how great running is for our physical and mental wellbeing? And those people (me again!) who write about the positive impact it’s had on them? Well, forget all that for a minute. Let’s talk […]
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January is barely more than a couple weeks old but Blue Monday – allegedly the most depressing day of the year – is looming. Quick, batten down the hatches! Save yourselves! Take only what you need to survive! Seriously now, let’s not be overdramatic. Why? because it is a load of old tosh. A formula […]
Read MoreToday I did not get a personal best at a local parkrun but I’m delighted all the same. Why? Because I proved to myself I’m on the path to progression. A few years ago, and as I lay prone on a treatment bench, a physiotherapist – in a sublime display of How to Lose Friends […]
Read MoreIn a recent interview, singer Melanie C describes therapy as ‘bloody great’. She’s dead right. During therapy, one of my biggest epiphanies was uncovering the link between my early life experiences and inner critic, then taking action to break the pattern. Let’s face it: we all trash talk ourselves. Everyone has an inner dialogue, both […]
Read MoreThe changing season can fill us with lots of feelings – nostalgia for those hot summer days, grumpiness because it’s dark at 4pm and weariness from smashing the snooze button for the eighth time because, well, it’s pitch black outside and I am nice and warm here thanks. When we do drag ourselves outside, when […]
Read MoreYou may have reached the end of Go Sober for October without touching a drop of booze. Or you’ve moderated your way through the month and feel full of resolve to erase alcohol completely. Either way, kudos to you for making such a positive change. Leading a life without alcohol in it, even just for […]
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I spent ages debating whether to add to the conversation for Baby Loss Awareness Week. I thought perhaps it’s too personal but I keep coming back to how important it is to speak openly about issues many of us face, often in silence. You see, for me and millions of other women and their partners, […]
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