Happy New Year!

I think we can all agree that we are glad to see the back of 2020. For various reasons it was a long, hard year for everyone, myself included. 2021 however seems almost like a beacon of hope, the possibility that things will get better and we will once again rejoice in the presence of our friends and family finally seems tangible.

Even though we are in a lockdown in the U.K I feel like there is more hope this January than there has been in a while. Which brings me onto the purpose of this small post.

I lost motivation to write last year. I stopped enjoying my blog and as a result it dwindled so far into the back of my mind that I almost forgot I even had one. Every time I sat down to write I felt lethargic and that my ideas and execution of those ideas weren’t up to scratch. I became disillusioned with the whole thing and even came close to deleting my blog. Why? Mainly because my mental health was suffering. I felt despondent and anxious most of the time and I think we can all agree that isn’t an ideal recipe for a good blog post. So what could I do?

I decided that going into 2021 I would take better care of my mental health and that involved doing something I have never done before; journaling. I have read about journaling and the values of writing thoughts down and setting mini goals for the day but I always dismissed it as nonsense, I never thought it actually worked. But this time I was determined. I wanted to reclaim my love of writing and my love for this blog and to do this I decided I had to try something new. I am only a week in, but I already feel re-energised and that having structure, even a tiny one, is making me feel happier and more like myself. I am even writing on here again and that is something that makes me smile. I have also decided to try meditation and to utilise online resources to better my understanding of mental health as a whole, how to raise awareness of mental health issues and to improve my own. It may not sound like a lot, but sometimes it is the little things in life and already I am feeling more hopeful than I have in ages. Now doesn’t mean every day is a walk in the park but it’s better than no progress at all.

But if there is anyone out there who isn’t feeling hopeful, who is reading this and feels anxious, depressed, despondent, anything at all, please know that it what you are feeling is ok, and that it will pass. It may not pass instantly, it may take time but you can get through it and you will. You will have good days and bad days and if you ever need anything, someone to talk to for example, email or message me on Instagram. And I say this with all sincerity, it is time to reach out to others, talking about mental health isn’t a weakness, you aren’t attention seeking. Your feelings are valid and people want to help you. Let’s go into 2021 with a better understanding of mental health issues and be kinder and more compassionate to our fellow humans.

To anyone thinking “what does this have to do with a history blog” well, this leads me onto say that although primarily a history blog, in 2021 I will be discussing things on this blog like mental health awareness and discussing subjects I am passionate about which won’t always involve history. It’s still primarily going to be a history blog, but I want to make sure I still enjoy writing it and so occasionally it will deviate from purely historical subject matter.

I want this blog to be a space where people can come to not only find history, but find positivity and honest experiences and opinions. All in all, I want this blog to make me and my readers happy so let’s get to it!

So on that note Happy New Year!