MHAW2025 Together staff & volunteers on physical wellbeing & impact on mental health

I have had health problems for many years, I have Fibromyalgia, Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation, Patellofemoral arthritis in both knees (no cartilage – kneecaps sit/grind on thigh bones), Degenerative Disc Disease, Disk tears and bulges in lumbar and cervical spine, Chronic fatigue syndrome, Hypermobility and currently awaiting neurology with suspected possible MS.

Though this sounds a lot to handle it has become part of my everyday life, if I woke up and nothing hurt I would assume I had woken in an alternative universe. However I have always worked hard to keep my mental health as good as possible. My theory on it is if I have no control over my physical health then I, sure as the moon follows the sun daily, will maintain my mental health. I try to laugh daily, I may wake up in pain, but I wake up and that is good. I help others as much as I can as if we all help others a little and pass it on the world would be a nicer place. I rest when I can, have a very supportive husband who does the majority of things at home so I can work then rest, I enjoy baking as it takes me out of my own head and share this with others (the staff team do not complain haha) I love to read, I am very visual and when reading I escape into another world fully which is nice. I like my greenhouse and growing fruit and veg, being out in the sun and walking bare foot in grass (very hippy of me).

However, I in no way do not struggle at times though, and that is natural and ok to struggle with it. I feel we should not berate ourselves when we are struggling as it is natural and how we deal with things that counts. I will cry at times, be stressed and snappy when I have a lack of sleep and am in pain, If I am aware I am snappy I try to warn people 1st so they know it is not personal but how I am feeling. Honesty about good and bad things and struggles is so so important, we need to break the idea that we “need to be strong and carry on” etc, and accept that is ok and actually beneficial to allow yourself to acknowledge the struggles, as long as you don’t fall into the pit and cannot get out. It also has an effect on loved ones, they worry, they sympathise, they have feelings of helplessness knowing someone they love is in pain/struggling and they cannot do anything, these are open conversations that are needed. I talk to my husband/family/(grown up) children and let them know, they may not be able to physically help but by being there and understanding that is a huge help.

Basically, be open, be honest, laugh a lot, smile (even through the grimaces) and try to accept that things may not be how we would like them to be but we still count and we still have value and we still fight another day.

I’ve always strongly believed that mental and physical health are deeply interconnected — perhaps that’s the psychologist in me. Over the past couple of years, I’ve experienced two major injuries that have significantly shaped who I am today. Both occurred during periods of grief — either in the midst of a loss or on the anniversary of one — when I was understandably distracted, emotionally overwhelmed, and not fully in tune with my body.

The first injury happened when I fell down marble steps and fractured my tailbone. It led to months of pain, limited mobility, and a complete shift in my daily routine. I carried a special cushion with me everywhere — even to the beach during my summer holidays — just to be able to sit.

The second injury was a result of falling off my bike — a momentary loss of balance that led to a complete tear of my Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL). It took three painful months just to get an accurate diagnosis and see a specialist. That was over seven months ago, and I’m still in recovery. Since January, I’ve been committed to rehabilitation through physiotherapy and regular gym sessions. It takes a great deal of effort and motivation, which can be hard to summon — especially when life throws other challenges my way.

As someone who’s always been very active — I cycle, play tennis, hike, dance — both injuries forced me to stop engaging in the activities that once helped me maintain my mental wellbeing. I had to adjust, to find new sources of joy and balance. I’ll never forget the panic attack I had when my GP first mentioned the possibility of surgery for my PCL injury. Thankfully, that hasn’t been necessary, but I still haven’t regained full, pain-free movement.

These experiences brought with them a heavy emotional toll: anxiety, grief, chronic pain (as I write this, my knee still aches), disrupted sleep, and financial strain from ongoing treatments. But they also became moments of reckoning. My body had been trying to tell me to slow down — and I wasn’t listening. The injuries forced me to stop and pay attention.

They’ve taught me to care for my body more intentionally, through better nutrition and consistent movement — things that are, at least, within my control. And while these experiences left me with a profound sense of vulnerability that still lingers, I’ve come to accept that vulnerability is simply part of being human.

I’m really pleased to see that my organization has chosen to highlight Physical Health during Mental Health Awareness Week — an important acknowledgment that one cannot truly exist without the other.

My name is Khloe and I work for Together with the NIHCSS and SMI Physical Health Check Outreach Project. This is not only about how I use sport or exercise to release the stress and getting fit but how I’ve come to accept the fact that “maybe you’re not the best, maybe you’re not as good as you used to be…and that’s enough”. It’s about letting go and keep on moving, both your brain and your body.

Strength and self-value

Since I was young I’ve always struggled with how I look and wanted to be the best or good at something so people will overlook at my flaws, and I’ve found badminton. If you don’t know what badminton is, it’s a racket sport similar to tennis but in which you need to hit the shuttle cock (or we call it feathers or shuttle) over the net. 

I’m not necessarily good good but quite alright for a female player. I used to play 3-5 days/week when I was 18 – 24 then I came to the UK to study and got into the University team and trained with them. I got stronger, lost more weight and felt unbeatable. This is how people is going to remember me, as Khloe with the K who can play badminton….but then it is also the thing that made me doubt myself – “if I can no longer play, how can I be proud of myself”… and the anxiety begins.

When you’re not feeling strong physically, you’re not feeling strong mentally?

You always hear people say that physical health is linked to mental health and vice versa, and that’s true. When we’re physically active, the brain releases Endorphins or some would say ‘feel food hormone’. It could be the case of the brain, the hormones and how to balance it with your activities. I thought to myself back then that the more I play badminton, the more I feel good about myself…then the injuries happened. I got injured, along with anxiety episodes starting when I was 33. I couldn’t get myself motivated to play as much as I can. Even when I did, I don’t feel like I was playing well and I was worry about what people might think of me when I don’t play well. I gained weight, I felt a sense of shame and I even argued with my partner that he ‘outshine’ me on the thing I’m most proud of. Then I play less badminton, I started to enjoy it less and I’ve found that the less I exercise, the more I’ve become grounded to the sofa, not wanting to get out, not even some walks. I questioned myself a lot on ‘if I also lose this, what left to be proud of’.

Pause for a moment and pick up the racket again

Together is the first mental health organisation that I’ve worked with. Through the years I’ve realised that I don’t have to be the best but just the best version of myself at that time. I see this first hand when the team go out and support people. They sit down and create the goals together with people who use the service at NIHCSS no matter how big or small they are, and that’s what it’s about, you can create your own goal no matter how small or big they are whether it’s going on the bus by yourself, joining an art group or simply be able to play badminton 2-times/week! A friend also advised me that “if this is the one thing you do to de-stress then don’t be stressful about it”. I set myself 3 goals; to play for the love of the game, to improve my technique and to keep my brain and body fit. I start playing in the league, feel the pressure and get myself out of the comfort zone, and the first couple of months was bad, like real I keep clashing with the badminton partner’s racket bad, but we’ve improved, and we moved on.

I’ve accepted that there’s no point looking back at your glorious days, you get older, and you won’t be as strong as you used to be…and that is ok. Now when I’m feeling stress or a long day at work, I always make sure I go for a few games. Because, now it’s not about winning the game, it’s about improving your movements and your mind. And I can only keep on moving, at my pace, to find my peace.

From Khloe with the K who can kinda play badminton.

I’d always enjoyed playing sports from when I was young and often now feel grateful that was something I was interested in and had access to. It wasn’t until the last few years really though that I became fully aware of the benefit physical activity has for me personally on my mental health and wellbeing. I think that really comes into focus for me when I’m not able to undertake those activities for any reason such as injury, illness or other factors.

The Covid Pandemic was an example of something that meant that wasn’t possible for a time and when it was again that was limited for a time. During that period I found cycling was a key part of me coping with the frightening news and worries about friends and family and getting out on my bike to undertake exercise and take in scenery and get lost in thoughts was a big help for me. I still really enjoy cycling and have gone further afield on rides and while I can’t really see myself ever being a full kit cyclist (Lycra is not for me) I really enjoy being in the countryside struggling up hills and revelling in the sense of achievement and space for thinking during that.

Being out in nature while undertaking physical activity is something I’ve become more aware of recently in terms of the benefit to my wellbeing. While being involved in sport is something that came naturally, some other forms of that had previously felt less like something I would do. There weren’t any barriers really to me being able to do those, and I’d like to think I’m aware of the privilege I have in having access to those, but in the past I’d maybe impose restrictions on myself by assuming things weren’t for me. I tried more of those things thanks to bits of guidance from friends and now think of them as key elements to maintain my wellbeing.

One example of that would be planning and undertaking walks in the country. That had seemed a bit pointless and hard to organise to me previously but having done that a lot with friends taking the lead on map reading I now look forward to chances to get out on a decent walk and have undertaken them myself. The feeling of being in wide open spaces is something I really appreciate living in a built up area in a city and I enjoy the feeling of aching legs after covering some miles. Something else I’ve taken up a bit recently and dipped my toe into is gardening which was another thing I assumed was none of my business having very little knowledge of plants or flowers and worrying I’d get it wrong. With guidance from friends though I’ve become someone that enjoys working on the garden in what I describe as an ‘unskilled labour’ capacity. I appreciate a job where I can see a discernible measure of a task I’ve undertaken so digging out weeds and preparing lovely soil for others with more knowledge to make use of is something I’ve come to enjoy. I think for me I definitely see how activities like these benefit my physical wellbeing and that is intrinsically linked to my mental health and helps me maintain my wellbeing.