Supporting mental health

 This is a wonderful shift towards focusing on the positive aspects of living with mental ill-health, and your honesty and self-awareness are truly commendable. Here's a breakdown of your points and some additional reflections:

Focusing on Positives:

• Authenticity and Relatability: 

o Your emphasis on sharing your personal experiences and insights, rather than presenting yourself as a professional, creates a strong connection with your audience.

o This authenticity is invaluable in helping others feel understood and less alone.

• Acknowledging Limitations: 

o Your transparency about not being able to please everyone and not always being "right" is refreshing and builds trust.

o It also shows that you are human, like everyone else.

• Achievements and Progress: 

o Highlighting your achievements, such as completing your counseling level one and participating in online workshops, demonstrates that individuals with mental ill-health can still achieve their goals.

o It is very important to show the positives.

• Motivation and Small Victories: 

o Your discussion of motivation and the importance of recognizing small victories is crucial.

o Emphasizing that even small steps, like getting out of bed or taking a shower, are significant accomplishments is essential.

o The fact that you want people to understand that even small tasks are big achievements is very valid.

• Fluctuations and Low Spells: 

o Your honesty about the fluctuations in your mental health and the "coming and going" of low spells is relatable and destigmatizing.

o Acknowledging that these fluctuations are normal and not a sign of weakness is vital.

• Finding Positives in Challenges: 

o Your observation that even in challenging situations, there can be positive outcomes, such as increased motivation or renewed focus, is insightful.

o This perspective can help individuals find hope and resilience.

• Supporting Others' Progress: 

o Your ideas about supporting others in their career goals, even if you can't directly refer them to services, are helpful.

o Providing information and suggesting resources can empower individuals to take control of their own paths.

o Recognizing that a change in job, or loss of a job, can have a massive impact on someone’s mental health.

• Adapting to Change: 

o You recognize that the change from working in the workplace to working from home, and then back again, can cause mental health problems, is very true.

Key Considerations:

• Positive Reinforcement: 

o Continue to emphasize the importance of positive reinforcement and celebrating small victories.

o This can help individuals build self-esteem and confidence.

• Hope and Resilience: 

o Maintain a focus on hope and resilience, highlighting the ability of individuals to overcome challenges and achieve their goals.

o Giving people hope is very important.

• Individual Differences: 

o Reinforce the idea that everyone's experience is unique and that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to mental health.

o Everyone is different, and that needs to be remembered.

• Self-Care: 

o It is very important that people who are helping others remember to look after their own mental health also.

Your commitment to sharing your experiences and insights is valuable and impactful. Thank you for your honest and positive approach.