I haven’t read Fifty Shades of Grey. Or Lady Chatterley’s lover. Or any of Jilly Cooper’s raunchy romps. But I understand from those who have that they must be read in a covert fashion. Hidden... Read more
Principle 5 Be a planner You don’t go far wrong when quoting Benjamin Franklin. His sage advice, commanderied down the years by boy scouts and football managers alike sets the tone for this post:... Read more
I wrote last week about falling down to earth after feeling like I was making good progress with my mental health; my depression and my anxiety. It has now been a week since my fall – since... Read more
I love horse racing. I love the spectacle. I love the culture of the sport – much of which is deep in the Irish bloodstream. I love the setting and the scenery. I love the characters involved... Read more
If you believe a generation of northern comics, a weekend with your mother-in- law is the stuff of nightmares. It is bound, they say, to induce a bout of depression even in those who don’t have a... Read more
Principle 4 Make the tools work for you When I was growing up and starting to learn all those practical life skills that I wasn’t very good at and have never really used since (painting,... Read more
I encounter three main reactions from people who have read my blog, especially to my candour about my own mental health and some of the detail I have shared about my experiences. A lot of... Read more
Principle 2 Set and keep to boundaries My favourite poet, Robert Frost, once advised us that: “Good fences make good neighbours.” In the quest for the right work-life balance and workplace... Read more
Actions speak louder than words. Put your money where your mouth is. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. In work-life balance terms, the real test of whether you are getting it right can often... Read more
I’m sitting on the train on the way to Gloucestershire. It’s day one of the Cheltenham Festival; the start of the best four days of horse racing to be found anywhere on the planet – aka... Read more
Principle 1 Be honest with yourself As a communications person (obsessive!), I am conditioned to try to come up with short, memorable ways of getting my audience’s attention and keeping it long... Read more
It is a classic first world problem. At a time when millions around the world are still living in extreme poverty and the benefits of globalisation and free trade haven’t even appeared on their... Read more
I am at that age now. A time of my life when I take pleasure in the simple – and some would say boring – things. The early nights – I rarely go to bed after 10:15 unless I watch the... Read more
Much of what I have written on this blog down the years has been born out of pain. The feeling of something being lost or a desire to make sense and order out of bad news or despair. This was the... Read more
It’s a few weeks since I put pen to paper and wrote my blog; weeks that straddled the Christmas and new year holidays and the mince pies and the tinsel (two of my least favourite festive... Read more
In keeping with its all round genius, the West Wing often provides nuggets of wisdom from history disguised as the views of its brilliantly-developed characters. In The Shadow of Gunmen (after the... Read more
I’m convinced we’ve reached the tipping point. The point of no return. The point at which what was once a fringe issue is now smack bang in the mainstream. Mental health has come out of the... Read more
I met two paramedics this week who talked me through their daily workload. They told me that around 1 in 5 of their 999 call-outs were to assist people who were having mental health issues. They were... Read more