Gum on My Shoe

Fran and I have been blogging since August 2013. Just about everything we do is a joint enterprise , although I look after the website itself and take the lead with the writing. Let’s take a look at how I go about putting one of our blog pieces together. Focus and Content We blog about lots of things, but mainly mental health and supportive relationships. We welcome guest contributions: if you’d like to work with us check out our Guest Guidelines . Inspiration Most of my ideas come from conversations with Fran or other friends, things we’ve done together, events I’ve attended, or things I’ve seen on social media. Here are a few examples. Newcastle Mental Health Day OPENM;NDED mental health event A day out with fellow blogger Aimee Wilson Talking FreELY Event in Ely Reading books together Fran’s trip to Mexico Then again, inspiration can come from almost anywhere if you’re paying attention! An online conversation about coasters A conversation about conversations ...

(But I did take home three Teddy Bears, a heap of books, and some beard conditioner.) On Easter Monday my friend and fellow blogger Aimee Wilson and I went along to the Easter Fayre & Pawsome Afternoon Tea at the Cats Protection Tyneside Adoption Centre in Gateshead. You can read Aimee’s post about the day here . Aimee had invited me along as the latest in our line of bloggers’ days out. We’ve previously visited Newcastle’s Life Science Centre , Tynemouth’s Blue Reef Aquarium, and had a day out in Blyth . I always learn a few things or come away with some new ideas. I’m happy to report our latest day out was no exception. Customer Engagement Advisor Chris Jackson took us on a guided tour. I was very impressed at the facilities and Chris’ knowledge and obvious passion for his job. The Tyneside Adoption Centre is the first purpose-built Cats Protection rehoming facility in the North East. According to their website they have 42 outdoor heated pens, and “work tirelessly t...

By Charlotte Underwood I hate my body. I just do. I can remember looking into the mirror and hating my body as a child. Even as a teenager, I hated it. As an adult, still not a fan. I’ve been so many different weights, my body’s changed with age. I’ve worked out, dyed my hair, got tattoos and piercings. But nothing makes me happy. The thing is, self love is more than a mirror. It’s deeper. Self love is mental. When you judge someone for their appearance, they remember it. When you call someone fat, they feel it. When you break someone’s confidence, they know it. My low self-esteem comes from years of being called ‘fat’, ‘obese’, ‘ugly’ and ‘unlovable’, all by people I trusted. I actually didn’t hate how I looked, until someone told me where to look. That’s important to remember, this whole epidemic of people wanting to change how they look, doing diets, hurting their body’s to be ‘perfect’... is because we created it. We made that. We made people feel this way. So I don’t c...

“ We don’t have the answers to everything, sometimes we just need to ask the questions. ” (John Rotter) The above quotation is taken from an article by John Rotter, Marketing and Communications Assistant at MHFA England. It expresses perfectly why asking questions is such an important aspect of mental health literacy. This post was inspired by an open letter to me by fellow mental health blogger Aimee Wilson in response to an article I wrote recently about imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and legitimacy . In her letter, Aimee described how important it is to have people she can turn to for support. Having gone through my mental health journey with my Mum being my main source of support, I think that I now know how essential it is to have the support of another person through your times of struggle and the challenges thrown at you. [....] The difficulty comes in allowing yourself to lean on another person or even to just admit that you need to lean on them! Something she went o...

Following on from our Bloggers About Town visit to Newcastle’s Life Science Centre in January, and a jaunt to the Blue Reef Aquarium at Tynemouth, I met up with fellow mental health blogger Aimee Wilson last weekend in Blyth, Northumberland. This involved an hour long bus ride for me, which made it quite the adventure! Aimee met me from my bus (“I feel like a celebrity!” “Lmao you’re a VIP!”) and we wandered down to the quayside to look at the boats (pretty sure that blooming big one was a ship, actually!) and a fascinating sculpture, The Spirit of the Staithes by artist Simon Packard. After taking photos we retired to the Commissioners Quay Inn for lunch. We were soon deep in conversation — and both checking our phones! Marty: I like that we can both be on our phones and we “get it.” Aimee: Yeah, everyone else just thinks you’re being rude! That’s why I’m so glad I have a friend who blogs — blogging is such a big part of my life that it makes a big difference to have so...

Check out our top posts for the past month. Posts are listed by number of page views they attracted during the month, most popular first. Our Top Posts of the Month (December 2018) Our Top Posts of the Month (February 2019) Exploring Bipolar Disorder and the Sister Diagnosis of Schizoaffective Disorder. Is My Friend or Sibling Underdiagnosed? My Mental Health 2018: Aligning It All Bloggers About Town: A Day out with Aimee Wilson An Open Letter to My Bipolar Best Friend Complex Simplicity: The Art of Being Honest When She Or Maybe You Were an Asshole My Mental Health Talk for International Women’s Day Our most visited pages were: Contact Us Resources Our book: High Tide Low Tide About Us News and Appearances Testimonials