As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, some staff members are sharing their stories about their experiences with mental health and how they look after themselves. Here Georgie shares her story about how motherhood has impacted her mental health and her advice for others.

Tell us about yourself and a little about your mental health journey so far

I’m a laboratory technician supporting research in the School of Biological Sciences and a new mum to my beautiful one-year-old boy, Teddy. My mental health journey has been a bit of a rollercoaster so far! I’m naturally a worrier; I always have been and always will be, so it’s no wonder that I’ve had some mental health encounters. My first experience with mental health (anxiety in particular) was when I left university. I always had a plan for how my life would go and when I couldn’t get a job, my self-worth spiralled, culminating in me believing I didn’t deserve to be happy until I’d secured a full-time job. This led to a few weeks in therapy where I left with several techniques to help me cope.

How has being a parent affected your mental health?

Massively. I suffered quite badly with postpartum anxiety. I ended up having an emergency C-section and developed complications from the epidural, which left me very ill. I had so much love for my little boy; I didn’t know how to cope with it all and it ended up manifesting as constant worries and not being able to relax or concentrate on anything. It also manifested physically in me losing my appetite, feeling sick all the time and trembling when I was at my worst. Combine that with hormones and lack of sleep and it wasn’t fun. But as the saying goes, “this too shall pass” – that phrase was and still is an important mantra of mine!

How do you now look after your mental health?

I’ve always been a talker, so I find having regular check-ins with my family helps a lot. I also teach Zumba and exercise does wonders for my mental health. Those couple of hours to myself are really important to me and allow me to recharge my batteries. I also love to read and play video games, which all help me to relax, rest and reset.

What do you think is the biggest misconception surrounding mental health?

That it’s a weakness to have an issue or a “wobble” with your mental health. Not everyone is always in peak physical health and mental health is the same. It’s another part of yourself that needs and deserves looking after.

What is your advice to others struggling with their mental health?

Talk, talk and talk! Don’t keep it bottled up. If I hadn’t spoken to someone about my worries, I really think they would have spiralled out of control. It can be hard to open up, but it’s so worth it, I promise. You’ll find that you’re not alone and there’s someone out there who’s going through or has been through the same thing as you.

If you need help or support, please speak to your line manager?or read about support available to staff.