“Just because you don’t understand it doesn’t mean it isn’t so.” – Lemony Snicket

“What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, and more unashamed conversation.” – Glenn Close

Why is mental health a taboo subject?

This is a question I ask myself a lot. It makes me sad to see how many people still perceive mental illnesses as a weakness or failure.

Of course, we have made huge progress over the years, but it will still take a good few years before we talk about our mental health openly and without reservations.
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MENTAL WELLBEING

Coronavirus and mental health – how I beat my anxiety in one day

By Ivana Poku on

March 24, 2020

- MENTAL WELLBEING

“First time in history, we can save the human race by lying in front of the TV. And doing nothing. Let’s not screw this up.”
– Unknown

How are you feeling about the coronavirus?

I’ve been experiencing a variety of feelings….

From anxiety, confusion, and stress to faith and hope.

Do you feel similar?

What I fear the most perhaps is that I’ll fall into depression. Again.

I’ve been here almost four years ago when I was stuck with my little boys at home. We lived in an apartment in the house with no lift at the time. The stairs had also a tricky angle which made it difficult to carry the buggy downstairs – both physically and mentally.

So I was kind of trapped which was one of many triggers for postnatal depression.

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MENTAL WELLBEING

Here’s how to defeat anxiety fast

By Ivana Poku on

October 15, 2018

- MENTAL WELLBEING

I sit on my seat by the window in a packed train fighting the wave of anxiety that is tirelessly trying to get to me.

In case you didn’t know this about me – I suffer from an anxiety disorder. Oh, and also claustrophobia. (But not to worry, I also have a great sense of humour, so it balances it out.)

And when I say I sit by the window,… Well, the window actually takes up only about 40 % of the space next to me.

The rest of my view is just something big, plastic and totally useless. I look at the guy next to me who made it clear just a minute ago that he would not swap a seat.

Perhaps that is why I don’t really feel like confessing I suffer mental issues, so I let him enjoy his blind victory and close my eyes in a hope that the tension in my heart will pass. keep reading

How to voice your opinion without feeling guilty?

By Ivana Poku on

March 27, 2018

- LIFE, MENTAL WELLBEING

You know it. You finally put the children down and your feet up when your phone rings. It is likely your parents or a friend. You know that most likely they do not want anything major, they just want to chat.

However, after a long day of physical and psychological struggle, chatting on the phone is the last thing you want to do. All you need is sit down, switch off the brain and do not think about anything. After a while, the ringing stops and a text appears on your display. “Can you talk?”

You think of what you should do. You want to say ‘no’ but at the same time, this idea makes you feel guilty. keep reading

MENTAL WELLBEING

50 Tips to feel good instantly

By Ivana Poku on

December 11, 2017

- MENTAL WELLBEING

We all have days when we’ve just had enough. Sometimes more, sometimes less, but more or less, more than less :).

In the post What helps me to get through those tough days, I offer advice and tips that help me to get through the days when my children drive me crazy.

However, sometimes our children are relatively manageable and “good”, and yet, we feel overwhelmed.

It can be a bad night’s sleep, bad pillow, personal circumstances, or simply a bad day and we feel we are not ourselves. What can we do to feel better at times like this?

Below I offer a few tips from which I believe you will choose the ones that are the most suitable for you 😉 x keep reading

MENTAL WELLBEING

8 Tips on how to get through the tough days

By Ivana Poku on

September 10, 2017

- MENTAL WELLBEING

I’m sure you’ll agree with me that being a mother can be pretty hard sometimes.

It doesn’t really matter if you have one child, twins or five children. Each one of us has days when we feel on the edge. keep reading

MENTAL WELLBEING, POSTNATAL DEPRESSION

What should I do when feeling lonely and tearful?

By Ivana Poku on

July 16, 2017

- MENTAL WELLBEING, POSTNATAL DEPRESSION

I’ll never forget the moment when I was looking at my few days old children and tears were falling down my face.

However, it wasn’t the tears of joy, it was the tears of regret.

Regret that we’d wanted to have them and regret about my future.

It was a couple of days after Yaw and I had moved into the hospital. Nurses recommended this step as I’d wanted to breastfeed. During one week all four of us lived in a hospital room the size of a shoe box. I am always grateful that we had this option but it wasn’t easy to live like that.

In a real-time it wasn’t a long period of time, but for me, it was the longest week of my life. And one of the hardest ones.

I was looking at them as they were asleep and an intense desire for them not to exist took possession of my mind. Up until today, I get goosebumps when I remember what had been running through my mind at that moment. Why did we want them …? Why did they have to be born?

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