Blog
Building Resilience in the Face of Mental Health Challenges
The Role of Resilience in Mental Wellbeing A guest blog by pmac Resilience, by definition, is our ability to overcome and navigate stress and adversity. Resilience is not about a lack of stress or difficulties, but about being committed to finding ways to cope and to find a way through. It is linked to positive…
Read More2024 Spring Retreat for Adoptees
Hi everyone We had a really successful first retreat for adoptees in June 2023. Whilst our venue was idyllic, some feedback was that single rooms was the preference (most were sharing). So we’ve taken that on board, and searched high and low to find a suitable venue for our second retreat in 2024. Spring 2024…
Read MoreFirst Retreat for Adopted Adults – June 2023
Gilli and I ran our first ever retreat for adult adoptees earlier this month. We hosted it in the beautiful surroundings of Rydal Water, near Grasmere. To our knowledge, this is the first of its kind and we wanted to deliver a weekend that was peaceful, calm and welcoming. The struggles of adoptees are little…
Read MoreFebruary 2023 News and Updates
Hi everyone It’s been a while since my last email. I hope you’re all doing OK – I am personally very much looking forward to Spring. The dark winter months can wreak havoc with our mental health so it’s really important to keep those self-care routines going through the dark, cold months. The above photograph…
Read MoreNewsletter & Updates – Adoptee Retreat
Hi everyone As you may be aware, we are running an online event / virtual retreat on Saturday 15th October, aimed at adoptees. Timings for the event are 10:00 to 3:30 BST, and we are excited to announce the agenda has been finalised. The following are the main sessions of the day: Yoga and meditation…
Read MoreRelinquishment is Trauma
As we now understand, adoption creates trauma, and it is towards the wider acceptance of this fact that I and my colleagues at How to be Adopted work. If you have not already heard of Paul Sunderland, look him up. His work is fascinating and endlessly enlightening. Meanwhile, listen to this amazing interview which highlights…
Read MoreAugust 2022 Newsletter
2 minute read Hello lovely people It’s been a while since my last email. Lots has been going on in the world which I know affects us all in different ways. I hope you are managing to stay grounded and exercise self-care through the tricky times. For me personally the last couple of years have…
Read MoreIt’s Not In Your Head: Sleep Deprivation Makes Your Anxiety Worse
Guest blog by Eric Kelly of My Dadventures If you have a mental health disorder like anxiety, ADHD, or depression, or you’re in a high-stress position at work (learn more about how stress affects managers here), you might think you feel worse after a night of poor sleep. The truth is that you probably do…
Read More“We don’t see you as adopted” and other misguided declarations of love
“We don’t see you as adopted” and other misguided declarations of love. Why is saying this a problem? Surely this is a good thing, right? Surely this means that their love for the adoptee is boundless, unconditional? Equal to the love given to a biological child perhaps? But this statement can make an adopted person…
Read MoreInstinct Intuition Inner Voice 101 – their role in Happiness and Wellbeing
How does instinct intuition inner voice affect our happiness? I have been thinking a lot recently about this, and more specifically the collision between our inner worlds and instincts or intuition and the outside world, with all its rules, expectation guidelines. I see how for many people, this collision creates a conflict in the way…
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