In the nineteenth century, when the Bronte sisters published their literary works, they did so under male pseudonyms. It was either that or they were at risk of their novels, at best, not being taken seriously, at worst, never to be seen hot off the press and selling at all. Clearly, there was no question, […]
Communication Skills for Career Success Ask an employer from any sector what they look for in new recruits and it’s not long before that broadly defined powerhouse of a soft skill – communication – springs to mind. Not surprising, really. Effective communication means a potential hire has the interpersonal and persuasion skills to explain ideas […]
Recognising it’s time to get support At first I didn’t realise what was happening. But once the tears came, I knew I needed help. I felt like I couldn’t go out – not even to pick up my daughter from school. I was feeling completely worthless and like I was a failure. A friend would take […]
In a sense, this is a ‘Tale of Two Cities’ or, more accurately, two countries; actually three if you count this one. This short tale is about asking for help when you don’t think you need it. It is a tale of contradictions. In 2011 I moved, with my wife and two daughters, from a […]
My mantra through school and university life was ‘avoid all eye contact with the teacher and they likely won’t pick on you to answer a question’. It wasn’t that I was a bad student, in fact I was always among the ones topping the class. It’s just that my confidence just seemed to end beyond […]
Today is World Mental Health Day and we’re getting behind fellow social entrepreneur and lovely new friend of QC, Gracie Sodzi and her White T-Shirt Campaign launched to raise awareness of mental health issues and to promote positive well-being; inspiring, motivating and encouraging through the sharing of stories. Find out more about Gracie and her mission over […]
A few weeks ago I was contacted by my friend, Hayley, about an exciting community project in Cornwall entitled ‘We Are Enough’ Its ethos is to raise awareness about mental health; to bring people together to share experiences and encourage self-expression through creativity. All forms of creativity are encouraged such as knitting, crocheting, writing, painting […]
I was bullied at school It started in May 2004, when I was 13. I was verbally bullied at School, by a friend who felt very controlling. Because my bully was a friend, I had no one. My teacher said that after the summer holidays he would make sure we were not in the same […]
Why would anyone who feels socially anxious want to shave their head? Clearly, it could draw unwanted attention and open us up to judgement… the very things that anyone who feels socially anxious tries to avoid! (You can read my story here.) But, I believe that when we care about something enough, we can push […]
I have recently been having extremely vivid dreams and nightmares. When I awake, I question myself. I have to decide whether to heed the warnings or to not allow them to distract my way of life. Sometimes I find a dream might try to haunt me for the rest of the day, and finding a […]
Not good enough Growing up, I was shadowed by a constant cloud of uneasiness in social settings. I felt I just wasn’t good enough. This cloud blighted and stagnated me. It caused me to be less productive than I could be, constantly living beneath my potential. I can’t pinpoint exactly when I got bitten by […]
This is a story from our friend Fi at Inside Out Fitness Cornwall who has transformed her life and is now helping other people to access fitness even though they feel socially anxious. Since a young age I believed that I was not smart enough. This belief followed me for a long time. I feared […]