This January I will be participating in RED January in order to raise money for Mind.

Mental health is a very important thing that is starting to get the recognition it requires, but there's still so much awareness that needs to be raised and issues that need to be dealt with.

For the majority of my teenage/adult life I have dealt with mental health issues, having being diagnosed with depression and anxiety disorders. At times, these issues have landed me in hospital, and put my life at risk. Taking the time out to focus on myself and on taking care of my mental health and wellbeing has turned me around, turned me into the person I thought I would be before my mind was fogged by depression. 

Even through hospital visits, medication and counselling, I still struggle. There is no easy fix when it comes to depression. Although I am much better today than I was a few years ago, I still have bad days, and everyone who suffers from depression or anxiety will too. That's why it's important to work to eliminate the stigma of mental health of it being 'just a phase' or 'just feeling sad/stressed'. The more people begin to understand, the more people will realise that this is an incredibly important thing issue needs to be addressed.

I'm doing RED January because although I've never done any serious running before, I think it's gonna be a great way to keep active and to raise awareness. Getting out and being active was something that helped me recover from my worst period, and I now even enjoy going out and walking my dog and going to the gym, although running every day will be a challenge that I can't wait to tackle.

Please consider donating - even if it's only a pound or two. It will make the world of difference.

Thank you ❤️

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