I decided to take part in RED January 2020 because exercise has helped me to manage my mental health. I know we get told this all the time and it’s frustrating to be depressed and to be told to exercise but what I’m trying to share with people is that exercise is not a cure, it’s just a small aid. 

It can make you feel stronger when you’ve woken up feeling weak. It can make you feel like you’ve accomplished something even if it’s the only thing you manage to get done that day. At it’s best, it can turn your day around. You can be breathless and sweating and you will think to yourself, If I can get through that, I can get through anything.

I have had depression and anxiety for as long as I can remember. It has been worse the past couple of years than ever. I got to the point where I finally reached out and was referred to Mind. A lot of us are referred to Mind and know what a great resource they are. But they need us to help them to keep helping others.

In 2018 the singer of my favourite band, Scott Hutchison of Frightened Rabbit, took his own life. It is a huge loss. It felt as though a light had gone out in the world and my heart broke for his family and those who knew and loved him. But what he has left behind has been positive. His family have set up the charity Tiny Changes in his memory and they aim to help young people with mental health issues. The younger we get them the help, the better the prospects are for sufferers of depression.

The charity takes its name from one of Scott’s lyrics: ‘And while I’m alive, I’ll make tiny changes to earth.’ This is something that I and other fans have taken from his life. We can make tiny changes. I hope that this month can make a tiny change, that we can raise some money for an essential charity. That maybe it might encourage others to try it, just 30 minutes of activity a day - from yoga to HIiiT to dancing to a brisk walk to strength. It has helped me and I know it can help others, if only for that 30 minutes a day.