Guidance and Signposting for Life's Challenges
Somehow, being tired has become a badge of honour. Working late.Skipping breaks.Running on caffeine.Pushing through illness.Being constantly “on”. We’ve normalised exhaustion. And that’s not healthy.It’s harmful. What Is Burnout Culture? Burnout culture is the belief that productivity equals worth. That resting is lazy.That slowing down is weakness.That struggling means you’re not trying hard enough. It […]
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Mental illness doesn’t always look how people expect. It doesn’t always come with tears, breakdowns, or visible crises. Sometimes it’s a quiet struggle — getting out of bed, masking anxiety, zoning out in conversations, or feeling like you’re carrying the weight of the world and no one notices. That’s the reality for many people living […]
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You can’t always see a disability. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Hidden disabilities — also called invisible or non-visible disabilities — are conditions that affect a person’s day-to-day life but aren’t obvious to others. These include things like chronic fatigue, autism, bipolar disorder, PTSD, sensory processing issues, and many long-term physical and mental […]
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Some disabilities you can see. Others you can’t. But just because it’s invisible doesn’t mean it’s not there. And if you live with a hidden disability — physical, mental, sensory, neurological, or autoimmune — then you already know how exhausting it can be. Not just living with the symptoms, but *proving* them to people who […]
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At the Mark Hewitson Foundation, we see it all the time — someone comes to us for support after a traumatic event or diagnosis, but the truth is, they’ve often been holding it together long before things fell apart. We know that mental and physical health don’t live in separate boxes. They are tangled, messy, […]
Read MoreMany people have asked me what to do, who to contact and how it’s expected for you to be when your person dies, so I thought I’d share what I’ve learned during the last 6 months. What to do? Be hysterical. Be calm. Be whatever you need to be. There are no rules when your […]
Read MoreHoliday 2 of 4 cancelled. Part of me is pleased because COVID is still amongst us. When I add to the fact I’m nowhere near ready to leave the house and mingle with people, it makes for a good outcome. The other half of me is conflicted; I should leave the house, I should be […]
Read MoreHow do people who have suffered trauma cope with lockdown, with every day a Groundhog Day of pain? I can only speak for myself, but I’ve been on my own lockdown for the last 142 days. Yes, I’m counting. Each day presents new or repetitive challenges but the basis is the same. Dealing with the […]
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Resilience A noun 1 the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity. 2 the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. Psychology Today suggests that Resilience is that ineffable quality that allows some people to be knocked down by life and come back stronger than ever. Rather than letting failure overcome them and […]
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