Notes from the Journey

Alcohol Awareness Week  Alcohol, Mental Health and Life Transitions  Understanding the Role of Alcohol in Coping with Grief, Loss and Change  Alcohol Awareness Week offers an important opportunity to reflect on the role alcohol can play in our lives, particularly during times of emotional difficulty. The 2026 campaign theme, “Alcohol and Me,” invites a personal and honest exploration of how alcohol may be affecting wellbeing, relationships, and mental health. From a therapeutic perspective, alcohol use is often closely linked with grief, loss, loneliness, and life transitions. These experiences can create emotional overwhelm, and alcohol may be used as a way of coping, numbing, or temporarily escaping distress. While alcohol is widely normalised in social and cultural contexts, it can have a significant impact on mental health, especially when it becomes part of how we manage difficult emotions. This post explores that relationship with compassion, not judgement, and cons...

Men’s Health Month Alcohol, Mental Health and Emotional Coping Understanding the Role of Alcohol in Grief, Loss and Life Transitions As Men’s Health Month draws to a close, Week 5 explores a topic that is often closely linked with emotional coping: alcohol use. In partnership with Alcohol Awareness Week, this post gently considers the relationship between drinking and mental health; particularly in the context of grief, loss, loneliness, and life transitions. Many people turn to alcohol during difficult emotional periods, not as a problem in itself, but as a way of managing distress, numbing feelings, or creating temporary relief. This is especially common during times of change, bereavement, or emotional overwhelm. While alcohol can feel like it offers short-term comfort, it often has a more complex impact on mental health over time. In this post, we’ll explore this relationship with compassion and without judgement, recognising that coping strategies often develop for understandable...

Men’s Health Month Coping, Survival and Emotional Overwhelm Understanding How People Manage Grief, Loss and Life Transitions As Men’s Health Month continues, Week 4 turns toward an important and often overlooked aspect of mental health: how people cope. When facing grief, loss, loneliness, or major life transitions, everyone develops ways of managing emotional pain. These coping strategies are not random; they are often shaped by experience, environment, and what has felt necessary to get through difficult times. For many men, coping may involve staying busy, withdrawing emotionally, focusing on work, minimising feelings, or pushing through without pause. While these strategies can help in the short term, they may also create distance from emotions that need space to be acknowledged. This week is not about judging coping strategies, but about understanding them with compassion, and recognising when they may be signalling unmet emotional needs. At a Glance What coping strategies are...

Men’s Health Month Baby Loss, Grief and Silent Sorrow Understanding the Impact of Baby Loss on Mental Health and Identity Week 3 of Men’s Health Month turns toward one of the most painful and often unspoken experiences in grief: baby loss. In connection with SANDS Awareness Week, this post explores the emotional impact of pregnancy loss, stillbirth, and neonatal death, with a particular focus on men’s experiences, while also recognising that baby loss affects people of all genders, identities, and relationship structures.  For many men, grief following baby loss can be complicated by expectations to be “strong,” “supportive,” or “practical” during a time of profound emotional pain. This can lead to feelings being held privately, expressed indirectly, or not spoken about at all. Yet baby loss can profoundly affect identity, relationships, mental health, and the sense of future that was being imagined. In this post, we explore baby loss through a compassionate and inclusive lens, a...

Men’s Health Month Loneliness, Connection and Emotional Isolation Loneliness isn’t about being alone,  it’s about feeling unseen, unheard, and disconnected. As Men’s Health Month continues, Week 2 brings a focus on loneliness, an experience that is far more common than many people realise, yet often remains hidden. In line with the approach of Loneliness Awareness Week, this is an opportunity to gently explore what loneliness really looks like, particularly for men navigating grief, loss, and life transitions. Loneliness is not simply about physical isolation. Many people experience it while surrounded by others - at work, in relationships, or within families. For men especially, social expectations around independence and emotional restraint can make it harder to express vulnerability or seek connection. Over time, this can lead to a quiet sense of disconnection that builds beneath the surface. In this post, we’ll explore loneliness through a compassionate lens, understanding its...

Men’s Health Month Navigating Life Transitions and Hidden Grief Understanding Men’s Mental Health During Times of Change Men’s Health Month is an opportunity to open up honest, compassionate conversations about mental health,especially the experiences that often go unspoken. One of the most common, yet overlooked, triggers for emotional struggle is life transition. Whether it’s becoming a parent, a relationship ending, a career shift, or a change in identity, transitions can quietly carry grief. While these experiences affect everyone, many men have been conditioned to “push through,” stay strong, or avoid talking about how they feel. This can lead to emotions being internalised, often showing up as stress, irritability, withdrawal, or low mood. This week focuses on understanding how life transitions impact men’s mental health, and why acknowledging the emotional weight of change is an important step towards support and wellbeing. At a Glance What life transitions are and why they i...

Mental Health Month  Understanding Depression  Through Grief, Loss and Life Transitions Depression is often a response to what you’ve been holding for too long. Depression is one of the most common yet misunderstood mental health experiences. During Mental Health Month, there is an opportunity to look beyond surface-level ideas of “feeling low” and explore the deeper emotional landscape that depression can represent—particularly in the context of grief, loss, and life transitions. Depression does not always arrive suddenly or without reason. For many, it develops quietly in response to change, endings, or emotional overwhelm. Loss can take many forms: the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, changes in health, identity shifts, or major life transitions such as becoming a parent, relocating, or entering a new life stage. These experiences can leave us feeling untethered, uncertain, and emotionally exhausted. As a counsellor, I often see how depression can be misund...

Hoarding Awareness Week: Understanding Hoarding with Compassion, Not Judgement Looking Beyond the Clutter to the Emotional Story Beneath Hoarding isn’t about mess, it’s about meaning, safety, and being understood. Hoarding is one of the most misunderstood mental health difficulties. During Hoarding Awareness Week in May, there’s an opportunity to move beyond stereotypes and take a more compassionate, informed look at what hoarding really is, and why it matters. For many people, hoarding is not simply about holding onto “too much stuff.” It’s a deeply rooted emotional experience that can affect identity, safety, and a person’s sense of control in the world. As a counsellor, I often see how quickly shame and misunderstanding can surround hoarding behaviours. This can prevent people from seeking support, leaving them feeling isolated and overwhelmed. In this post, we’ll explore hoarding in a way that centres understanding rather than judgement, and look at how gentle, therapeutic support...

 Navigating Menopause and Emotional Well-Being Supporting your mental health during a time of change Menopause is a transition for both body and mind, your mental well-being matters May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a timely reminder that emotional well-being is central to navigating life’s changes. Menopause, with its physical and hormonal shifts, can challenge mental health in ways that aren’t often discussed. Anxiety, mood changes, and difficulty managing stress are all common experiences, but you don’t need to face them alone. At a Glance: Menopause can affect mood and emotional resilience Stress management is key to mental well-being Self-care and counselling support improve daily life Recognising the mental health impact reduces shame and isolation Understanding Menopause and Mental Health: Hormonal fluctuations influence neurotransmitters and the nervous system, which can: Heighten anxiety or low mood Make coping with everyday stressors more difficult In...

Anxiety and Menopause:  Why Worry Feels Louder Understanding why anxiety can spike during  life transitions and hormonal changes Menopause can amplify stress, and suddenly anxiety feels louder than ever As we move from Stress Awareness Month into Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s a good time to explore how anxiety can be heightened during menopause. Many people notice that worries, irritability, or a racing mind feel more intense than they used to. This isn’t a personal failing, it’s a combination of life transitions, hormonal changes, and the body’s natural stress response. Understanding why anxiety feels louder can help you respond with compassion, self-care, and support. At a Glance: Hormonal changes can intensify anxiety Anxiety during menopause is common and understandable Recognising physical and emotional signs is important Counselling and self-care strategies can help restore balance Understanding Anxiety During Menopause Menopause involves fluctuating est...

Stress and Menopause  Why Everything Feels More Intense   How hormonal changes amplify stress and what you can do to support yourself As Stress Awareness Month draws to a close, it’s the perfect time to look at how stress interacts with life transitions, especially menopause. Menopause is often painted as a “natural stage,” but the reality is that fluctuating hormones can make stress feel more intense, emotional responses more volatile, and fatigue more overwhelming. Understanding this connection allows you to respond with compassion and practical support, rather than frustration or self-blame. At a Glance: Hormonal changes affect the body’s stress response Emotional intensity and fatigue are common Recognising these effects helps you respond kindly to yourself Counselling and self-care can ease the strain Understanding Stress and Menopause: During menopause, declining estrogen and progesterone can impact your nervous system, affecting how your body reacts to stress. ...

The Hidden Stress of Life Transitions Why even “positive” change can feel overwhelming and exhausting  Not all stress comes from crisis, change, even good change, impacts your body and mind April is Stress Awareness Month, a reminder that stress isn’t always loud or obvious. Life transitions - whether moving house, becoming a parent, changing careers, or experiencing menopause - can feel destabilising, even when they are positive steps forward. These changes challenge your sense of identity, routine, and certainty, and your body responds to this shift in ways that can be physically and emotionally exhausting. At a Glance: Life transitions trigger stress, even when anticipated Physical and emotional symptoms are normal Guilt or pressure to “just be happy” is common Gentle self-care and support can help you navigate change Understanding Stress in Life Transitions Our bodies and minds are designed to respond to uncertainty. Even exciting changes can activate the stress resp...

The Stress of a Sudden Loss vs a Long Goodbye: Pet Loss and the Hidden Toll  How the timing of losing a beloved companion affects your body, mind, and heart Grief for pets isn’t just emotional, it can be physically exhausting April is Stress Awareness Month, a reminder that grief affects both mind and body. Losing a pet can be sudden, like an unexpected accident, or gradual, after a long illness. Both types of loss trigger stress responses in your body, often leaving you physically drained and emotionally raw. Understanding how the timing of pet loss impacts your stress can help you approach yourself with compassion and seek support when needed. At a Glance: Sudden pet loss triggers intense acute stress A long goodbye creates prolonged emotional strain Both can affect sleep, energy, and physical health Awareness and self-care are essential for recovery Understanding the Stress Response in Pet Loss: Sudden Loss: An unexpected death or disappearance of a pet can shock your...