Mental Health Matters Too
- Millie Bridger
- May 17
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 10

There’s a kind of exhaustion that lives deep in the bones. Not just from symptoms, appointments, or treatments, but from the emotional toll of showing up in a world that doesn’t always see what you’re carrying.
If you’ve ever smiled when you wanted to cry. Or said “I’m fine” when you felt anything but. If your days are shaped by pain, fatigue, or unpredictability, and you wonder how your mind is supposed to stay steady in all that…
Then this week, this post, is for you.
Mental Health Awareness Week isn’t about pretending we have it all figured out. It’s about making space. For honesty. For gentleness. For the kind of care that doesn’t demand anything from you.
Let’s talk about what it means to live with a chronic illness and still care for your mental health, even when the world moves too fast, and your body says stop.
The emotional impact of chronic illness
Research shows that people with chronic illnesses are at much higher risk of depression and anxiety. That’s not because we’re doing something wrong, it’s because the emotional labour of illness is real and heavy.
You might find your energy stretched thin, your nervous system on high alert, your thoughts cycling through worry or grief. You’re not broken. You’re responding to a life that asks more of you than most people realise.
Mental health struggles don’t mean you’re losing. They mean you’ve been holding on.
If you’re reading this, please know; you’re not making it up. You’re not lazy. You’re not “being negative.” You’re carrying something invisible, every day, and still showing up in whatever way you can.
That’s not failure. That’s strength.
Getting help that meets you where you are
Mental health support should never feel out of reach. But if traditional routes (like therapy or GP referrals) feel overwhelming, start small.
You can also join our growing online Support Group; Finding happiness, Together - a gentle space for honest conversation, shared tips, and zero pressure. I’ve also gathered a list of trusted mental health charities dedicated to helping people struggling with their mental health, which you can find on my Resources page.
You’re doing better than you think
If today was hard, if this week has felt like too much, you’re still here. Still trying. Still carrying on, in your own quiet way. That is not weakness. That is strength.
As Mental Health Awareness Week draws to a close, please remember; the conversation doesn’t end here. Support doesn’t stop just because the calendar moves on.
You’re welcome in the support group any time, or you can reach out directly here. You can also explore organisations like Mind and the Mental Health Foundation.
However you're feeling today, you're not alone.
Gentle ways to calm your mind
Let’s talk about those “what now?” moments. When everything feels too loud. Or too flat. When your thoughts are racing, or your heart is heavy, or you don’t know what would help, just that something needs to shift. Here are a few grounding tools that don’t require a huge energy burst:
Box breathing
A simple way to calm your nervous system by controlling your breath:
Inhale for 4 seconds
Hold for 4 seconds
Exhale for 4 seconds
Hold for 4 seconds
Repeat for 1–2 minutes.
You can find more about this technique here.
The 5-4-3-2-1 technique
This mindfulness exercise brings you back into your body:
5 things you can see
4 things you can feel
3 things you can hear
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste
You can find more about this technique here.
Body scan meditation
Start at your toes and move slowly upward, gently noticing each area of your body. No judgment, just presence.
You can find more about this technique here.
5 quiet comforts that don’t take much
These aren’t fixes, just small anchors for when everything feels like too much.
Lie under a weighted blanket and listen to music that makes you feel safe.
Drink something warm and comforting; tea, soup, whatever feels easy.
Let sunlight hit your skin for 10 seconds. No pressure, just a pause.
Watch or rewatch something familiar that soothes you.
Reach out to someone who gets it.
Communicating your emotions
Sometimes the hardest part is finding the words, especially when your feelings are tangled, or your energy is already stretched thin. If it feels like too much to explain everything, you don’t have to. A few gentle truths are enough.
Here are some ways you might express what’s going on:
“I don’t have all the words right now, but I’m not feeling okay.”
“I’m feeling a bit off today. I don’t need advice, just some patience.”
“It’s hard to explain, but I’m not quite myself at the moment.”