I had been off work since December due to anxiety and depression. I was making good way to returning to work in March and then of course Covid-19 hit. I found myself in an extremely bad place and, like may others, was struggling. My confidence had been destroyed, the anxiety and depression was back worse than it had ever been before.
I discovered Myplace in May after attending a session through the Lancashire Recovery College. I had always loved nature and was finding a little bit of comfort by watching the birds in my garden and going for walks so when I saw that Myplace was about nature and wildlife I thought I would give it a try. I was extremely anxious about attending an online course and having the camera on so people could see me, at this point I couldn’t even talk on the phone due to the anxiety. I was so nervous I even got my mum to sign up to do the taster session with me!
The old anxiety crept back in, and the "what ifs" started creeping up on me. What if they don’t have me? What if they don’t like me? What if they think I’m weird? What if they laugh at me? Again, the "what ifs" were destroyed after the first session. I was surrounded, virtually, by like minded people who “got” me and every Tuesday night feels like Christmas eve, as I can’t wait to do the Wednesday session. We have a laugh every session, we support each other every session, and we learn each sessions. I learnt about the 5 ways to improve wellbeing, Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning, and Give.