Big Love is about creating a positive change in how people think, speak and feel about mental health, their own and other people's well-being. The word Movement relates not only to the movement of the physical body but within society; a shift in perspective, a change in how we see things as a collective and a way to challenge the stigma around mental health. This is a mission and a life’s work and it started as a page in a journal…

‘I want to build a community where I can create a positive change for people’s wellbeing.’

My own lived experience of mental illness, grief and the challenges faced by those around me are the very reason I am here today doing the work I choose to do. I changed my whole career to create Big Love Movement although I didn’t realise I’d been shifting towards this change for a long time. Throughout my life I have felt anxious, depressed, disconnected and sometimes, very lost and alone. There have been tremendous highlights along the way, inspirational experiences and people to share it all with however it is the most challenging times that nudged me to create Big Love Movement.

Mindfulness supports you by helping you cope better with stress by drawing you back into the present, slowing things down and quietening the internal worry; the mind-chatter.

When you learn to slow things down, even for a short while, you’ll find you have more focus, what you’re focusing on will flow better and everything you do will get a little kickstart!

The language we use and how we use it has a huge impact on our mental health. Whether you look at how you talk to yourself; the thoughts you have and the words you use when thinking them, or whether you reflect on how you speak to the people around you, you'll start to notice those words create an emotional response in them and in you, and often a physical one too.

You’re mental,

I’m mental

We’re all mental because we all have MENTAL health

The purpose of these prompts is to allow you the headspace to process what you’ve done, achieved, experienced and felt over the last 5-7 days. They invite self-inquiry so a chance to tune in to how you are feeling on all levels; physically, emotionally, mentally. Every week will likely to spark different answers and with them comes a fresh perspective!

Feeling calm can be fleeting, I am a firm believer that although it may feel counterproductive to stop what you’re doing, pausing to rebalance is the very best thing we can do when we find ourselves easily distracted, feeling overwhelmed or have lost focus on what we are doing in the first place.

Today I’ve pulled together three of the simplest and self-empowering ways I know to be effective in helping you find a sense of calm and re-connect you to yourself in the here and now.

Here’s some food for thought; what does connection mean to you?

I’ll lead with a quote from the inspirational Brené Brown who appears to have nailed the ultimate definition; “I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard and valued; when they can give and receive without judgement; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.”

Wellbeing is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as; the state of being comfortable, healthy or happy, so if you thought it was all about happiness you’re wrong, my friend! Not only is this definition subjective, but it’s also massively multi-layered and it’s something I bang on about all the time!

What do you do when a bad mood hits you at work? Or right in the middle of a project that really needs to be completed? Or your day begins in a bad mood because you slept terribly?

Well, you can either ride it out or find a way to crank your mood up a notch and feel-good as you ease through your day/project/meeting…

30 ways to improve your mood anytime, anywhere (well, almost)!

These are my top three breathing techniques that you can implement right now, and which take as little as five minutes of your time.

Why are we suddenly so bad at sleeping?

I love to sleep and I love the fact I get to do it for 7-9 hours a night I just wish I could manage it more than a few times a week, I’ve become absolutely rubbish at sleeping through the night!

After a powerful punch of a year I’ve been processing everything that’s happened and how it’s affected me, being open and honest with myself so I can establish a level of understanding and compassion but also see things from a new perspective.

Grab your journal or some pieces of paper and take yourself somewhere quiet and cosy, maybe take a cuppa and light a candle, this is time to honour what you've been through! The following journal prompts invite a personal reflection on your year and the impact on your wellbeing. Take some slow deep breaths, allow yourself time as you pause, reflect and process all you have experienced in 2020.

Let’s talk resistance…

I remember rocking up to my first sound healing session in a cosy studio somewhere in Clapham pretty sure I was paying to have a lie-down while listening to someone banged on some bowls, and I'm pretty sure that's what you might be thinking too but I was so wrong…

A piece for Village Raw magazine on life in lockdown and an appreciation of the slower pace.

Back in September, I was running a yoga and mindfulness event at a primary school. During each 30-minute workshop, I introduced the idea of wellbeing to 200 children aged between 4-11 years old. We talked about our emotions and how we feel, we discovered the power of affirmations and of our own magical breath.This is one of my most treasured memories, one I’ll never forget. The story of the little boy and his really big worry.

Every day this week I’ve heard from friends and clients telling me how much busier and more stressed they're feeling with work. I even heard one friend was working on a project even though she was furloughed! Now while I appreciate businesses need to keep running and are working harder than ever to forge a new path and they need you, but I don’t see the need to push people to their limits.

If you were managing to keep yourself calm and grounded while the rest of the world entered panic mode, by now you may be finding it all a little overwhelming. By ‘it’ I mean the anxiety, nervous energy, fear, and panic. To me it feels like smoke or fog that’s seeping in through the walls and into my thoughts no matter how hard I try to keep myself away from the hysteria.