Mental Health Check In | Covid-19

Originally I set out to raise awareness around the whole social media thing with Caroline Flack and everyone going insane and posting shit like “Don’t be silent, talk to me” “You’re not alone” blah blah blah. I think you may remember. But now we have this whole pandemic going on that we are focusing on that, we are very fickle creatures by nature and to be quite honest when this ends we will go back to our old ways and forget all that we have learned in this time, to be kind, to care, to generally not take for granted the small things.

I have asked my very close friend Christie from Christie's Lifestyle to collab with me on this, as this is something that is very close to my heart and hers because of where I was a few years ago. Again her contribution was written before the major outbreak of COVID-19, however, I feel still drives home the point to this post.

“In a world where you can be anything, be kind”. This is a phrase that has been shared a lot recently and after recent events surrounding a celebrity suicide, it also brings about many people sharing quotes on social media which brings the question, do they really mean it? Social media is full of vultures ready to use death for their own gain. They use it as a chance to look good, and share posts that offer support to anyone in need. Admittedly I too am one of those people sharing posts offering my support for those who need it, but the harsh reality is the people that need help do not reach out.

A couple of years ago, Kim came to me and opened up about how she was feeling. A bit of backstory – myself and Kim have been friends since high school and I thought I knew her like the back of my hand. Surely if something was up, I would notice. I knew she was suffering from feeling low, but when I spoke to her about it, she reassured me everything was OK, and just like that I believed her. Little did I know things were a lot worse than she led on, and it had gotten to the point where she had contemplated suicide and even planned it out. I was genuinely shocked when she told me what she had thought about, as I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. When people are suffering from mental health issues, they do their best to cover it up. They will portray a happy life to the outside world but won’t openly admit how they are really feeling.

Thankfully Kim did reach out, open up, and got help. I do kick myself sometimes for not noticing more, as the Kim back then is a completely different Kim to the one now, the happy bubbly Kim that I had slowly forgotten existed. So next time you share a post offering support to those to reach out to you who need it, just think maybe it should be you reaching out instead and checking in on your friends/loved ones." - Christie 

Now more than ever we need to remember to keep in touch with those we know to be indifferent, the ones who have started to act a little distant. I will be honest and tell you it is not always easy to tell who is feeling lonely, who is ready to step over the edge. Some of us have learned for years how to hide behind the perfect smile and a flawlessly timed laugh, you know the only place you can never hide, is the eyes. Which, I guess right now is fairly ironic because at least here in the UK you cannot get close enough to see that. 

The only advice I would give to anyone right now, in the conditions we are in, use what you have to talk to one another. Send a little note in the post, let the ones that need it know they are loved and thought of. If we can, we should remember to continue this treatment of kindness well past this pandemic and then hopefully break this cycle of madness in the world. All it takes is one person.  

Always be kind, you never know what personal battle people are fighting.