Advice: #YouAreNotAlone

If the title of this post has planted that sappy Michael Jackson song in your head, I apologise, I didn’t create the hashtag haha!

Joking aside, the festive period can be incredibly hard for many people, for many different reasons. So, in bloggy tradition, I always like to leave lots of help and info here. I also wanted to let you know, you are not alone, your feelings are perfectly natural and justified and you are worthy of help and care.

I too don’t like Christmas, it’s a combination of many things for me, one of which is the incredible financial pressure it places on us as a family. When we can barely afford the rent, the thought of even purchasing the smallest of presents for even just immediate family can be crippling.

The joy of being self-employed means we get to dictate our own hours and work around Poppy and my mental health, but it does mean one week we can feel like rockafella (i.e we can afford to spend more than £40 on a weeks food shop) the next we’re on the bones of our arse and are literally scraping together pennies for a loaf of bread. Don’t get me wrong though, we’re happy, stone cold broke, but happy, so we make the best of of it, but there’s no denying, there are certain times of the year it smarts a little!

Obviously, mental health is a big one for me too and I know how hard it is to be in a room filed with laughing happy faces, yet you feel like the most lonely person on the planet. Depression is isolating, and even more so when everyone’s mood is set to extra jolly!

Should you find yourself needing a little bit of extra help, or just need someone to lend an ear, the fabulous Kellie at Big Fashionista has collated an excellent list of contacts.

MIND

Website www.mind.org.uk

Tel No 0300 123 3393

Samaritans

Website www.samaritans.org

Tel No 116 123

Alcoholics Anonymous

Website www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk

Tel No 0800 9177650

Stonewall

Website www.stonewall.org.uk

Info line 08000 50 20 20