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“sprachgefühl,” a German word we’ve stolen into English that means “a feeling for language.” Sprachgefühl is a slippery eel, the odd buzzing in your brain that tells you that “planting the lettuce” and “planting misinformation” are
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“I am coming to realise that we can all have years of stillness, whether it’s due to a break-up, grief, illness or just needing to be still. I am coming to know that being still can help us grow. Being still can help us discover. It’s OK to be still.”
― It's Not OK to Feel Blue (and other lies): Inspirational people open up about their mental health
― It's Not OK to Feel Blue (and other lies): Inspirational people open up about their mental health
“But you are not ungrateful, you never have been. Always, you could see the whirling constellation of wonders that makes up your life. God, there is just so much to love. Dust motes lit up by stage lights, the creak of a book’s binding when it’s opened for the first time, the ache in the back of your throat from singing too loud, the whirring noise of a light bulb as it’s flicked on, a warm blanket in a cold room, a kiss when you didn’t know you needed one, dark pencils, the wet snuffle of a dog’s nose, strangers who say ‘Bless you’ when you sneeze, mahogany, the dusty silk of flower petals, good lines in bad poems, the watercolour mess of sunset, snow, liquid-ink pens and more. So much more.”
― It's Not OK to Feel Blue (and other lies): Inspirational people open up about their mental health
― It's Not OK to Feel Blue (and other lies): Inspirational people open up about their mental health
“Emotions are energetic signals of information and I had gone too long trying to ignore my worry, anxiety and lack of self-compassion – they had turned into deep sadness. This was a clear message, telling me that things needed to change.”
― It's Not OK to Feel Blue (and other lies): Inspirational people open up about their mental health
― It's Not OK to Feel Blue (and other lies): Inspirational people open up about their mental health
“Find the place in your body where an emotion sits, and get to know it. How big is it? Does it feel warm? Does it feel heavy? Does it have a shape or does it have foggy edges? The longer you feel it, the more you will notice it warp and change shape.”
― It's Not OK to Feel Blue (and other lies): Inspirational people open up about their mental health
― It's Not OK to Feel Blue (and other lies): Inspirational people open up about their mental health
“What we need is a Tools to Help You Co-habit With Your Suffering Day. I don’t think that’s going to happen any time soon. In the meantime, though, here are my tools. Share. They might help others. Talk. Don’t keep it to yourself. There’s a great saying in Narcotics Anonymous: an addict alone is in bad company. Let people in. It’s scary and sometimes it can go wrong, but when you manage to connect with people, it’s magic. Let people go. (The toxic ones.) They don’t need to know – just gently withdraw. Learn to say no. I struggled so much with this, but when I started to do it, it was one of the most liberating things that ever happened to me. Learn to say yes. As I’ve got older, I’ve become quite ‘safe’. I am trying more and more to take myself out of my comfort zone. Find purpose. It can be anything – a charity, volunteering … Accept that Life is a roller coaster. Ups and downs. Accept yourself. Even the bits you really don’t like – you can work on those. No one is perfect. Try not to judge. If I’m judging people, it says more about where I am than about them. It’s at that point that I probably need to talk to someone … Music is a mood-altering drug. Some songs can make you cry, but some can make you really euphoric. I choose to mostly listen to the latter. Exercise. There is science to back me up here. Exercise is a no-brainer for mood enhancement. Look after something. Let something need you for its survival. It doesn’t have to be kids. It can be an animal, a houseplant, anything. And last but not least … Faith. I’m not sure what I believe in, but I do feel that when I pray, my prayers are being heard. Not always answered, but heard. And that’s enough.”
― It's Not OK to Feel Blue (and other lies): Inspirational people open up about their mental health
― It's Not OK to Feel Blue (and other lies): Inspirational people open up about their mental health
Natalie’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Natalie’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
411 books
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71 friends
549 books
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56 friends
35 books
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54 friends
507 books
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157 friends
240 books
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25 friends
922 books
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49 friends
1 book
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5 friends
3 books
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1 friend
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