Mental health journey: Gabriella's story
"What works for me is simply getting out and walking in nature and journaling in the morning."
Meet Gabriella, one of Spark Somerset's newest and youngest Open Mental Health Champions who volunteers at The Good Heart Café support group in Frome, twice a month.
She took time out recently to share her journey with mental health, why she wanted to become an Open Mental Health Champion and suggests some practical steps young people can take to look after their own mental health this Youth Mental Health Day.
"I've been an out in and out of the mental health system for over 10 years, so it was really my own struggles with coming to terms with the trauma and things that go on in people's lives and in my life and learning how to navigate my diagnosis and what works best for me to keep my mental health at a good level.
"This has been a really long learning journey of mine and everyone's different and different things work for different people but what I've found works for myself is really simple; going out in nature, walking in nature in the forest and journaling in the morning.
"So, in the morning I write what's on my mind? Any kind of issues that are going on for me and I just write it down in my journal. It has been my absolute saviour because sometimes there's not always anyone there to pick up the phone or you don't feel like you want to talk to anyone about this situation because you don't even know how you feel.
"Journaling has been really, really helpful for me to bring some positivity and some clarity around how I think and how I feel and just building healthy habits that make you happy and bring you joy.
"If you are struggling with how you feel, how you think, then just talk to someone you know you can trust. You don't have to suffer in silence. I'm sure that there will be some kind of healthy, positive response and steps that you can take to change the way that you think and feel because it doesn't have to be like that. You don't have to suffer; you don't have to struggle alone.
"My role as a Champion involves talking with the community and getting what Open Mental Health is about out there; what we do as an organisation and opening discussion around mental health in general.
"The support groups I help at take place at The Good Heart Café in Frome on the 2nd and 4th Friday of every month from 10 till 11:30am and is a space where people can come and have a cup of tea or coffee and share anything that feels heavy for them or that they are finding difficult at the moment."
If Gabriella's story has inspired you to get involved in volunteering for Open Mental Health, click the link below to see their current opportunities.