Be inspired…
The most magical thing about Shine is the strength that each woman gives to another - and how much braver we all are than we realise. From quotes we love to articles that might help, use this page to feel supported, inspired and uplifted. You are not alone…
Specialist Organisations
Get specific help and guidance from people in the know…
Reading List
Our favourite books to read on depression, mental health, self-care and more…
Self-Care Tips
Get advice on how to calm yourself during a panic attack and tips for being kind to yourself…
Anxiety & Mothering Courses
Featuring practical and sensitive advice on reframing anxiety, coping with mum guilt, health anxiety and mothering the mother, this series of incredible courses are available to Shine mums at a reduced price.
The Shine Blog
Featuring our favourite Shine artists, thoughts on depression and anxiety, advice from other mums, top tips for self-care, our favourite podcasts, articles, stories and more, this is a wonderful space to browse and explore…
Rewind Therapy
Any mum who feels they have had a traumatic birth might benefit from rewind therapy. Usually three sessions, it involves working through your birth to make sense of the event and allow you to reconcile it with how you feel now.
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.”
Explaining depression to your loved ones
“I don't feel like the old me and that's scary, but I know there is hope that things will get better…”
To the Mother Battling
Post-natal Depression…
You are stronger than you realise…
The Gift of Being Good Enough
Why being the perfect mother isn’t always the best thing…
Alternative Therapies for Emotional Wellbeing…
Healing Hypnotherapy
Lucy Brown is a solution-focused hypnotherapist with practices in Cirencester, Malmesbury and Swindon. She helps people with things like anxiety, low mood, OCD, insomnia, fears and phobias, confidence, addictions and more. Hypnotherapy is a very positive therapy, and change typically occurs in a short space of time. Lucy also takes the time to explain how our brains work and how we manage stress, which is really helpful for mums working through their mental health. Hypnotherapy is a bit like meditation, and essentially allows you to relax, and create a space for creative thinking where you are also open to new ideas and positive suggestions that boost confidence and motivation for change.
Contact Lucy on lucy@lucybrownhypnotherapy.co.uk.
Nutrition for Mothers
Did you know that what we eat is linked to how we feel? The gut is often referred to as the ‘second brain’ and we often carry our stress and anxiety here, (there’s a reason you get that ‘pit of your stomach’ feeling when you’re worried). Nutritionist Jennifer McDiarmid has given many workshops at Shine and helped lots of mums with things such as postnatal nutrition, hormone balance and gut health. She works with you in a positive but practical way, demonstrating how even small changes can build to make a big differences to how you feel. She can look at your whole body health, advise on good foods to eat and those to avoid, and especially those that help with sleep, stress and low mood.
Email Jen on contact@jennifermcdiarmid.co.uk
Mind & Body Pilates
Sarah is a physiotherapist and pilates instructor with a special interest in women’s health. She is passionate about helping and healing the body’s aches and pains, through a combination of manual therapies and movement, but is also fascinated by the mind-body connection. As a result she is truly holistic in her practice and aims to transform her patient’s beliefs so that they can do and achieve much more than they may think. Analysing movement, and working out where and why things have gone wrong allows people to gain a greater awareness and understanding of their body's potential. You can find out more at physiosarahfellows.com, or follow her on Facebook @physiosarahfellows
Email Sarah on physiosarahfellows@gmail.com.
Three of the Best….Meditation Apps
Calm
We love this app for its wonderful Sleep Stories, which really help us drift off, as well as its guided daily calming sessions which are only ten minutes long. It organises its session by need - anxiety, stress, focus, dealing with emotions, relationships etc - and there’s plenty of free content if you don’t want to buy a yearly subscription.
Headspace
This app is a great choice if you’re new to meditation and mindfulness, as it has a free 10-part “basics” course to get you started. There are also one-minute breathing exercises, which are great to help with any rising panic, and we love using their brilliant body-scan meditations, which are simple, short ways to focus and centre yourself.
Stop, Breathe, Think
The best thing about this app is the way it asks you to “check in” before meditating, using a choice of words to describe how you’re feeling, both physically and mentally. We loved the guided ‘joy’ meditation sessions, and also some of the longer practices to help you deal with anxiety or to relax and clear your head.
“I’m here. I love you. I don’t care if you need to stay up crying all night long, I will stay with you. If you need the medication again, go ahead and take it - I will love you through that, as well. If you don’t need the medication, I will love you, too. There’s nothing you can ever do to lose my love. I will protect you until you die, and after your death I will still protect you. I am stronger than depression and I am braver than loneliness and nothing will ever exhaust me.”
Help from Homestart
Did you know that Homestart is a charity designed to support families when they are struggling, and this includes dealing with mental illness. A trained volunteer can come to your house, each week for up to four hours, to help in any way that you need, from helping with the kids to doing the washing, cooking dinner or running errands.
Shine on Facebook
Our closed Shine Mummies Facebook page is a wonderful, confidential and supportive environment for anyone experiencing perinatal depression or anxiety. Over 550 local mums are there to share their own experiences and offer advice, tips and a listening ear if needed. You can ask to join the group by contacting Lauraine on the link below.