Practice Makes Progress

I met Fran over the summer when I guest panelled some discussions for her Resilife team at Kings. What was evident then, today, and every day, is just how important talking about our mental health is. In honour of World Mental Health Day, Fran shared her insights into life as a family therapist, facilitating that conversation for other people. What's evident both here in the UK and back home in Chile, is the understanding of context in mental health. Things won't change unless policy and funding does too, which is why day's like today are so vital.

This week's guest was 23-year-old Lina Bettayeb, who six years ago was in a fatal car crash with her family, which left three quarters of her body paralysed. Unable to speak, and just weeks away from her AS Level exams, Lina's life was very suddenly redirected. One of the calmest, most optimistic people I've ever had the pleasure of speaking to, Lina and I talk through the opportunity that adversity presents for us to grow and develop a new mindset.

This week I sat down with 23-year-old artist CHINCHILLA, to talk through the importance of self-belief as we begin to adult and navigate our next steps. Stepping into the music world with ideas that weren't always championed, CHINCHILLA taught herself to produce and became her own cheerleader. Especially throughout lockdown, it can be easy to convince ourselves we're not enough, in productivity, success, social lives etc. so this episode is an important reminder that we are, and it's about time we started telling ourselves that.

Over 430,000 people in Britain suffer from a compulsive addiction to gambling. Inundated with ads on tv, our phones, and billboards, gambling poses as a fun game with everyone's favourite prize: money. After winning his first grand off a £20 bet, this week's guest Josh Lock took me through his spiral into the world of gambling, drink and drugs. Just over a year and 8 stone later, Josh has walked away from the dangerous betting that cost him more than just debt, and dominated the previous 5 years of his life.

At just fourteen, I was introduced to the world of extreme dieting, which led to an incredibly unhealthy relationship with myself, food and my body. I began to control every aspect of my life, which as we know is totally impossible and for me, became ultimately self-destructive. Believing I would be happier if only I were thinner dominated most of my adolescent years, and it made me miserable. Now, I remind myself, and others, that we have so more to offer the world than just our appearance, and I won’t let society convince us otherwise.

In Episode 2 of the 'Beyond Pride' featured series, I sat down with 23-year-old graphic designer Nick Cozier, who moved to England from Barbados for university, back in 2015. As a White, queer man, Nick understands the privileged position he holds within the LGBT community, but couldn't leave Barbados fast enough, as one of the 72 countries that continue to criminalise LGBTQI+ people. Nick and I talk through the (growing) representation of queer people in popular culture, as well as the historic importance of the LGBT community standing in solidarity with the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

The first episode in our featured mini series in honour of Pride this year, I sat down with 21-year-old Charlotte Woodman, a White cis, queer woman from Muswell Hill, who has just qualified as a primary school teacher. Charlotte and I attended the same secondary school, which was incredibly homophobic and not as inclusive as it poses to be. We talk about the problematic language and culture of British secondary schools as well as Charlotte's hope for future generations of education.

This week's guest was 22-year-old Grace Williams, who suffered from a terrible anxiety during her second year of university, that not only took its toll physically, but cost her her social life. Anxiety manifests itself in many different ways, with the physical expression often overlooked. A huge part of Grace's recovery has been accepting and forgiving her past self and allowing more room for light, joy and self-love.

In reaction to the death of African American George Floyd, Nyasha and I talk through the implications for the UK in dismantling the systemically racist system that exists to actively disadvantage the Black community. The penny has dropped that racism will not disappear until White people accept and acknowledge their privilege and use their positions of power to dismantle racism in Britain.

From an incredibly young age, we are told there is one way to look: slim. Particularly as young women, we spend years pining after this "perfect body" that is so unrealistic and unattainable, that we devote all our time and energy into chasing an aesthetic that's not only dangerous to our self-esteem and mental health, but we forget it's not all we have to offer the world.