What Sophie Said

I didn’t intend to take such a long break from posting here, or any break at all, really. I’ve been writing but not publishing. Writing as a way to try and process thoughts I don’t understand myself yet. There’s been a lot going on over the last few months. I’ve written on here about my journey with anxiety over a number of years, and about the fact that in June this year I completely crashed with my anxiety and depression. There’s been a lot of rebuilding going on. A lot of pulling thoughts apart to their very roots and learning how to change them so they’re no longer damaging. Finally, I acknowledged that I needed to face everything properly, rather than continuing to wear a mask and pretending I was ok. It’s been going well. I found a counsellor who understands me. He knows what I’m describing before I finish describing it. He doesn’t let me get away with taking the easy route, and he challenges beliefs I’ve been leaning on for years. About a month ago, I realised t...

On 7 th July, I turned 23, and after an amazing week of enjoying my birthday, I’m feeling somewhat reflective.  I’m planning, I’m thinking, I’m sorting through my thoughts.  And whilst I process these thoughts, for today, here’s a list of some of the 23 ‘life lessons’ I feel I’ve learned over the last 23 years. 1. Real friendships take work, and effort to maintain. 2. Don’t be afraid to drift away from friendships that leave you feeling drained, or tired, or not valued. 3. You won’t always understand every decision those around you make… But if you care about them, support them. 4. Some people will have very different views to you on a whole range of things, and that’s ok. 5. The path that’s right for one person isn’t necessarily right for you. 6. It’s ok not to have absolutely everything figured out. Most people don’t. 7. Work hard. It will pay off in the end. 8. Making mistakes is fine, as long as you learn from them. 9. Alone ...