The following poem is written by a wonderful artist that I am fortunate to be friends with and have followed her work development for quite a while. This poem moved me when I read it and I felt it would resonate with you lovely people.

Knots a Poem by Marianne White

They start in the depths of my belly
Unbeknown to me while watching the telly
Sprouting one by one, what is this feeling i am not ready
The knots are making themselves known they are coming fast but steady

"Hard times arouse an instinctive desire for authenticity." Coco Chanel

The real conflicts came from an incongruence, a divergence from my values and my core purpose. I had neglected my true self and had suffered a breakdown because of this.

When I was in the darkest times, my raw creativity got me through. After 14r years of not picking up a paintbrush, it was painting that saw me through. That was when I realised there was power in that creative process.

Our living spaces can contribute to our poor mental health without us knowing, but they can also help to rectify and heal these feelings of anxiety, especially in conjunction with other therapies. I wanted to take the opportunity to share some pointers about my own experience and what I have learned about how to help ourselves with our living environments as an essential foundation for greater well-being.

… Grabbing any device I could at work, notifications pinging around left, right and centre, constantly open and ready to connect and talk, always on the go-go-go on every platform, selfie-ing my way through life, running events, sharing everything.

I didn't understand the repercussions of social media and the decline of:

- my mental health
- my authenticity, who was I?
- the quality of my work...

That moment.

When you realise…
• That feeling I should be working or doing something
• Something unknown and genuinely awful was going to happen
• That lurking, invasive feeling that something terrible is about to happen
• I should of said 'xwz' and now everything is going to crumble

… it doesn't have to be this way.

How can I put this understanding into practice?

It's helpful to be aware of these effects, so we are more conscious and able to manage them in our lives.

What this means is that you can manage your schedule and energy levels effectively

If we don't take the time to sit down and consider what is best for us, for our careers and businesses, this will be decided for you. This lack of control has detrimental effects on our efficiency, productivity and mental health.

HOW CAN YOU BECOME MORE AUTHENTIC?

Authenticity is a hot topic now; many organisations and individuals recognise that being authentic is at the heart of self-care and emotional integrity. It's not easy, and after a lifetime of living a way that society has made us conform to fit, you can break the bad habits of a lifetime to enable you to become more content, more meaning and more fulfilment in your life.

Authenticity is an internal, constant state of self-awareness and recognition.

Externally what that means is that you show up with integrity, emotional and practical consistency because you are in tune with your more profound sense of self, and deeply value any given situation to which you commit yourself.

By mastering your authenticity, you become free from crippling, superficial barriers.