2 minute read
Turkish Eggs with Feta & Chilli Butter
AROUND THE TABLE – WITH –ELLA MILLS
OVERCOMING CHALLENGES
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Most of us will experience mental health challenges within our lives. The advent of everything I do now came with one of these challenges when I became very ill in 2011. I spent a few months in and out of hospital with a condition that meant my body could barely function and I had no life, no friends, nothing. Unsurprisingly, that had a huge impact on my mental health and it was my first experience of depression and anxiety. At that point, I also struggled with the vulnerability I needed to talk about or share it with others which I think massively exacerbated the depths of the lows I felt.
REFLECTION AND WELLBEING
I’ve been very lucky in my career to work within the wellbeing space and to be part of a generation who are encouraging everyone to talk about mental health in a really different way that’s open, eloquent, vulnerable and emotionally intelligent. It is also increasingly easy to access daily tools to support our mental health; for me that’s been yoga and meditation. They’re the bedrock of my own day-to-day mental health support, creating the space and clarity I need to check in with my mind.
SHARING WITH OTHERS
Emotional literacy isn’t something we’re always taught in our culture and as a result we’re not always able to show up in the way we really want to when people are struggling. We simply don’t know what to say. I saw it so vividly when my motherin-law passed away; so many people didn’t say anything to my husband because they were scared to say the wrong thing and it simply furthered the sense of isolation. Moments like that have consistently highlighted the importance of collective connection to our emotions and as such our mental health.
PEOPLE INSPIRE PEOPLE
The more we’re able to normalise the challenges that inevitably come with life – whether they’re related to grief and loss, postpartum depression and anxiety, physical health, or anything else – the more connected we can feel. Having experienced aspects of each one of these challenges, I realise the importance of open conversations and of knowing how normal it is for our mental health to fluctuate. I feel incredibly lucky to have people in my life that I can talk to any time, any day.
