Mike Meets Life: April 2020

Today is a new day! #positive #positivethinking #positivethoughts #positivequotes #positiveaffirmations #positivenergy #positivevibe #positivequote #positiveminds #positivelifestyle #quote #quotes #quoteoftheday #motivationalquotes #inspirationalquotes #quotestoliveby #lifequotes #quotestagram #quotesoftheday #mikemeetslife

07:39

Recently I've come to share my very first memories of being bullied through natural discussion. Growing up, I always knew I was a victim of persistent bullying and there are varying events I remember from primary through to leaving in secondary - but my very first memory that I had discussed prompted me to revisit this subject. And it's one we must never stop talking about or shy away from because awareness is everything. My earliest memory of being bullied was when I was in primary school, I couldn't tell you what year group. I had begun taking packed lunches. I vaguely even remember my lunchbox, I think. Blue and ninja turtles seem to come to mind, passed down from my older brother. The old 90s style; none of this air tight Tupperware. I was a fan of jam and peanut butter sandwiches, I probably had a yoghurt and the usual packed lunch gold. Our lunch boxes went in an area outside the dining hall at the start of each day and stayed there until lunch. On arrival, we'd collect our lunchbox and meet the rest of our class and teachers in the dining area. Bullying would've already started as this was a very anxious situation for me. I'd hold back until it was less busy to avoid others. So I could get my lunch and find my empty table peacefully. One day, at the beginning of the week, I entered to find my lunchbox missing. You know the feeling now as an adult when you think you've left your keys in the shop, or your mobile isn't in your pocket. Your heart races and you start panicking. That was the feeling I had. I knew I'd brought it. I knew I'd placed it in the right area. Someone must've stolen it. I anxiously went looking for it and I remember giving up in the end. I was so embarrassed and threatened by it, I never told anyone. After lunch time had finished, I remember someone saying to me "Isn't this your lunch box", which had re-appeared. Empty. This continued for only about a week. Some days, I'd be left with a sandwich or a yoghurt etc. Some days, nothing. Each day, it was a new game - to them. I remember one day it was thrown all over the room and I frantically tried to pick up what I could salvage and have for my lunch...

19:05

https://ift.tt/2VYf0S5 Recently I've come to share my very first memories of being bullied through natural discussion. Growing up, I always knew I was a victim of persistent bullying and there are varying events I remember from primary through to leaving in secondary - but my very first memory that I had discussed prompted me to revisit this subject. And it's one we must never stop talking about or shy away from because awareness is everything. My earliest memory of being bullied was when I was in primary school, I couldn't tell you what year group. I had begun taking packed lunches. I vaguely even remember my lunchbox, I think. Blue and ninja turtles seem to come to mind, passed down from my older brother. The old 90s style; none of this air tight Tupperware. I was a fan of jam and peanut butter sandwiches, I probably had a yoghurt and the usual packed lunch gold. Our lunch boxes went in an area outside the dining hall at the start of each day and stayed there until lunch. On arrival, we'd collect our lunchbox and meet the rest of our class and teachers in the dining area. Bullying would've already started as this was a very anxious situation for me. I'd hold back until it was less busy to avoid others. So I could get my lunch and find my empty table peacefully. One day, at the beginning of the week, I entered to find my lunchbox missing. You know the feeling now as an adult when you think you've left your keys in the shop, or your mobile isn't in your pocket. Your heart races and you start panicking. That was the feeling I had. I knew I'd brought it. I knew I'd placed it in the right area. Someone must've stolen it. I anxiously went looking for it and I remember giving up in the end. I was so embarrassed and threatened by it, I never told anyone. After lunch time had finished, I remember someone saying to me "Isn't this your lunch box", which had re-appeared. Empty. This continued for only about a week. Some days, I'd be left with a sandwich or a yoghurt etc. Some days, nothing. Each day, it was a new game - to them. I remember one day it was thrown all over the room and I frantically tried to pick up what I could salvage and have for my lunch... via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/B_c67iOAR8o/

How many of you have had a night out planned, or arranged coffee with friends and suddenly the 4 walls you inhabit seem the only safe haven because it's the only place you don't have to pretend you are ok, so you cancel. Or when you are invited out you tell them how terribly sorry you are but you're already booked up that weekend, when you are actually just really busy holding it together in your safe box. Or you agree to something and spend the week fretting over how to cancel without it being too obvious. And so the first problem starts, all by itself. People stop asking you and the isolation that at first wasn't true becomes your only truth. . For those doing this, know that you are loved and your friends enjoy your company - or they wouldn't ask you to be there. Maybe they know you're struggling and they want you to have some you time, some time to let your hair down - time to smile and laugh and feel their love and support. Next time, push yourself at least that once out of your comfort zone. You'll be safe and it may be what you need to start healing. You have to give that a try. . For friends on the receiving end - please never give up. Don't get frustrated. Don't point it out. Gentle encouragement is key. If you have friends doing this and you don't already know - they're probably struggling and haven't told you yet. Be there for them. The last thing they need is for you to turn their self conscious feelings of loneliness in to reality. . #anxiety #anxietyrelief #anxietyhelp #socialanxiety #anxietysupport #anxietyproblems #anxietywarrior #anxietyfighter #anxietyisreal #overcominganxiety #anxietyquote #anxietyanddepression #anxietycoach #anxietymanagement #anxietylife #friends #friendship #goodfriends #friendshipgoals #friendshipquotes #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #mentalwellness #mentalhealthsupport #mentalhealthadvocate #mentalhealthquotes #mikemeetslife

16:05

Deep breaths. Take yourself to a happy place in your mind and remind yourself of the Truths you know. You will get through this, you've done it before. You are safe. You are loved and you are protected. You will feel happy again when this passes. This won't last forever. Anxiety is not constant. You are not your anxiety. #selfcare #selfcarethreads #selfcaretips #selfcarematters #selfcaresaturday #selfcarelove #anxiety #anxietyrelief #anxietyhelp #anxietyawareness #anxietyrecovery #anxietysupport #anxietywarrior #anxietyattacks #anxietyisreal #mentalwellness #mentalwellbeing #mikemeetslife

22:05

Use this time to hear the birds sing, the cars in the distance and the other natural sounds around you. There's peace, calm and beauty if you choose to hear it and let it in to your life. #peace #peaceful #peaceofmind #innerpeace #peaceandlove #peace✌ #peaceandquiet #peaceonearth #calm #keepcalm #calming #anxiety #anxietyrelief #anxietyhelp #anxietyattack #anxietysucks #anxietysupport #overcominganxiety #anxietyquote #anxietytips #anxietymanagement #anxietyreliever #mikemeetslife

10:44

At the moment, we are experiencing a new kind of normal. I see people constantly saying "I can't wait to go back to normal," and I can't help but think "Please, let's not." Sure, I want everyone to be safe and healthy. But I don't want everyone to return to "normal". For the first time in a long time, I see people pulling together to support each other. I see businesses working together to create better rather than competing. I see love being clapped from my doorstep every Thursday for the NHS. I see rainbows in windows. People saying hello to each other (from a distance). I see a better and kinder world at the moment. So before we rush to get back to normal, let's evaluate what kind of normal we are rushing back to and whether it's worth it. . . #coronavirus #normal #normalday #normallife #normalisboring #backtonormal #backtonormallife #backtonormality #life #lifequotes #kindness #kindnessmatters #spreadkindness #love #lovequotes #quotes #inspirationalquotes #motivationalquotes #quotestoliveby #mikemeetslife

08:33

Don't let ANYONE bring you down. Who has the right? No one in this world can define who you should be and how you should act. Words can kill and people fuelled by jealousy will strive to kill your dreams and when that fails, they'll try to assassinate your character. Don't let anyone take YOU away from YOU. Be who you want to be and be proud. Cut negativity from your life and focus on positive energy only. Life is too short to let people change who you are. . . #life #mylife #lifequotes #beyourself #beyourselfalways #words #wordsofwisdom #wordstoliveby #inspirationalwords #motivationalwords #wordsofencouragement #wordskill #wordscankill #quotes #inspirationalquotes #motivationalquotes #quotestoliveby #quotesaboutlife #quotesdaily #positivequotes #positivity #spreadpositivity #powerofpositivity #positivityquotes #suicideawareness #mikemeetslife

12:33

Wake up and rise up! You can do today better than you did yesterday. You can rise from anything. Even a phoenix must burn before it can rise from the ashes. You can recreate yourself, you're not stuck, you always have a choice as nothing is permanent. To rise, you just have to decide what to do today and never look back. Keep moving forward making the right choices for you. So, let's make today a new day and a new chapter. You've got this 💪 . . #riseup #riseupandshine #riseuptogether #together #bettertogether #strongertogether #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthrecovery #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthsupport #mentalhealthadvocate #mentalhealthquotes #mentalhealthwarrior #newday #itsanewday #todayisanewday #newdaynewstart #newdays #quotes #inspirationalquotes #motivationalquotes #lifequotes #quotestoliveby #quotesoftheday #quotestagram #quotesaboutlife #quotesdaily #positivequotes #mikemeetslife

07:33

What really is Mike Meets Life? To be honest, this started as a personal blog. I'd floated ideas for years about what kind of blog to do: lifestyle, motivational, key issues, technical etc. I could never really find my niche until I started talking about mental health and I actually received 100's of hits on two particular early blog posts I made on Mike Meets Life, regarding mental health and bullying. The messages were of thanks and of support and it was overwhelmingly emotional. The reason for setting up a blog in the first place, going back to my very earlier variations over 10 years ago, was loneliness. Very rarely having anyone to talk to is difficult and I always felt I had a lot of care to give, kind and supportive words and my story to share to hopefully help others. As I've grown, my desire to help others has grown with me. I remember particularly from my teens having a particular sense of overwhelming desire to help others in one way or another. It didn't necessarily need to be in the aspect of counselling, or as a mental health advocate and writing blog posts like I do on MML, I just knew I wanted to make a difference. The truth is, if I could, I'd give every starving child water and food. I'd give every abused or abandoned child a home. I'd clear everyone's darkest clouds so they could see clearly again. I'd do anything I could to help anyone who needed it. But the reality is I can't help everyone, I can't do everything - I can just try and do my part and try and inspire others to do the same. I think my desire comes from having very few people there to help me. It helps put everything in to perspective. I was bullied nearly every year of my school life and remember some particularly rough points of being beaten up because I was sat in the wrong place, to having my head smashed off every radiator in the corridor on the way to assembly and even having my lunch stolen on several occasions. I've always had very few friends - I've never really known why: people just don't like me I don't think, but I've come to accept that and have always appreciated what I have got. I've stopped blaming myself, trying to change myself, trying to work out....

09:33

https://ift.tt/2yn5xM7 What really is Mike Meets Life? To be honest, this started as a personal blog. I'd floated ideas for years about what kind of blog to do: lifestyle, motivational, key issues, technical etc. I could never really find my niche until I started talking about mental health and I actually received 100's of hits on two particular early blog posts I made on Mike Meets Life, regarding mental health and bullying. The messages were of thanks and of support and it was overwhelmingly emotional. The reason for setting up a blog in the first place, going back to my very earlier variations over 10 years ago, was loneliness. Very rarely having anyone to talk to is difficult and I always felt I had a lot of care to give, kind and supportive words and my story to share to hopefully help others. As I've grown, my desire to help others has grown with me. I remember particularly from my teens having a particular sense of overwhelming desire to help others in one way or another. It didn't necessarily need to be in the aspect of counselling, or as a mental health advocate and writing blog posts like I do on MML, I just knew I wanted to make a difference. The truth is, if I could, I'd give every starving child water and food. I'd give every abused or abandoned child a home. I'd clear everyone's darkest clouds so they could see clearly again. I'd do anything I could to help anyone who needed it. But the reality is I can't help everyone, I can't do everything - I can just try and do my part and try and inspire others to do the same. I think my desire comes from having very few people there to help me. It helps put everything in to perspective. I was bullied nearly every year of my school life and remember some particularly rough points of being beaten up because I was sat in the wrong place, to having my head smashed off every radiator in the corridor on the way to assembly and even having my lunch stolen on several occasions. I've always had very few friends - I've never really known why: people just don't like me I don't think, but I've come to accept that and have always appreciated what I have got. I've stopped blaming myself, trying to change myself, trying to work out.... via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/B_J7mFTAgls/