Amy Roullier is The Authentic Optimist. Part time writer, full time pro at oversharing. With a no BS approach to conversations around single life, mental health and wellbeing
Is cooking for one worth it? Absolutely. Although I definitely didn’t feel this way a couple of years back. As someone who lives alone, I was one of those people who hated cooking and to be honest, didn’t think it was worth all the effort of laying out the cutlery, spending half an hour whipping up an exciting meal, and then tackling all the washing up, just for little old …
After a two year hiatus from overseas travel – cheers Covid – last March I went to the iconic city of Paris. A place known for its great wine, even better cheese, bohemian ambience, historic monuments. And also, the home of the Mona Lisa. It’s top of the list for most to complete any visit to Paris with a trip to the Louvre museum. And what a sight it was …
Shopping stimulates a rush of happiness and dopamine, which can create an addictive habit. Maybe it was the buzz of the purchase, looking forward to that shiny new thing arriving, or the satisfaction of a good shopping spree. Whatever my reasons, that moment of buying stuff felt really good. Unfortunately the happiness never lasted long. Because there was always a new upgrade, fancier features, new styles, more things that felt …
For the last 10 months I’ve been trying to show myself a little more love by working on some serious (-ly lacking) boundaries, prioritizing self-care and pushing myself out of my comfort zone. Part of that journey has been getting really comfortable spending some alone with myself. So far I’ve tackled solo cinema outings, unaccompanied gigs, coffee and dinners by myself, solitary UK weekends away, and a whole load of …
This is a guest blog by Lucy Chamberlain: Many people dismiss anxiety or just don’t understand it, so it gets shrugged off as unimportant. But it’s something many people live with and we should not feel compelled to hide it or pretend it doesn’t happen. No one should suffer in silence. Which is exactly why I wanted to share my own coping strategies for anxiety. Because anxiety is a vast …
When I was 19, I was diagnosed with depression. At the time I didn’t know much about mental illness. It wasn’t something I’d heard people speak about and I didn’t know anyone who’d had depression. And even now at 37 I’ve rarely shared what I went through with anyone other than the very few people who supported me throughout that time. But as its Mental Health Awareness week, I wanted …
This is a guest blog by Lucy Chamberlain: I was once having a coffee in a cafe before work and I suddenly became hot and scared. I felt extremely on edge and self-conscious. Shaking and couldn’t move from my seat. Panic stricken. I wanted to reach out to the cafe staff and cry help but I was too embarrassed. Time was moving on and I knew I had to get …
Rest and relaxation. Sounds lovely doesn’t it? That idea of just chilling out, no plans, nothing to do. Long dreamy moments to align and reflect. However I’ve always struggled to put rest and relaxation into practise. This is the era of busyness culture after all; where a busy life equates to a successful one. But has the workaholic lifestyle lost its aspirational shine? Is there less of a struggle to …
I’ve balanced varying degrees of depression throughout my life, the worst being in my late teens where it lead to a drop out of University. But throughout these past two years, I’ve swayed back and forth between thinking I was doing okay (I mean, I wasn’t. But I was clinging on to thinking that I was) to really struggling. And this winter has been particularly tough. Not sort of, or …
Social Media. An endless stream of happy smiling faces. Wealth and success. Picture perfect moments. Awe inspiring lives. Envy inducing lifestyles. That social media world looks pretty darn fabulous. And of course it would, because it’s not real life. This is a reminder to myself, to you reading, and for anyone who needs it, that social media is not fact. It’s a few seconds, minutes or hours of someone’s world. …
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