I’ve been thinking a lot lately about whether or not to continue with the Yes, You Can Do It (YYCDI) blog. The stats, in terms of the number of posts I’ve written during the past two years, are pretty shocking. Here’s a comparison of the number of posts per year since I started this:

• 2019 (started the blog in May): 31 posts
• 2020: 47 posts
• 2021: 39 posts
• 2022: 19 posts
• 2023: 23 posts

This probably looks like a classic case of ‘I can no longer be bothered’ to most people, though that isn’t what is happening here. There are various reasons why the numbers have tailed off recently, with the primary one being I’ve been ridiculously busy at work, especially over the past 18 months. It may seem a weak excuse, but the simple truth is that there have been many times when I’ve been too tired to do anything of note during the evenings and/or at weekends. This blog, quite simply, took a backseat for much of that period when, for the good of my own health and wellbeing, I valued rest and recuperation above pretty much everything else.

I’ve always been a firm believer in ending anything that feels like it isn’t working, whether that’s a book, a film, a TV show, listening to previously unheard albums, trying out new hobbies, or jobs (though the latter can be much more difficult to address). My core view is that time is simply too precious to waste on anything that doesn’t bring joy or fulfilment to my life. For a while in 2022 and at certain points in 2023, I wondered if that was the case with YYCDI. Having thought long and hard about it, I’m pleased to say it isn’t. I still love to write, and it feels like I still have a lot to share via this forum.

I have some different views today regarding the core ‘everyday mental health issues’ (as I badge them) which prompted me to start YYCDI. I don’t seem to suffer as much from anxiety as I did 5 years ago, though I’m sure it will continue to rear its ugly head at various points in my life, so there’ll be more to reflect on there at some point. I still lack confidence, though not quite to the same degree as I used to. I’ll write about that, and the potential reasons why, in an upcoming post. Of the 3 core issues back then, Imposter Syndrome is the bastard which still looms large. I still have a lot to say on that and will be addressing it again soon.

Additionally, there are always emerging themes to write about. Regular readers will know that the one root cause for many of my issues is me not being happy with how I look to others / what I think of my physical appearance. I recently had a really interesting conversation with a valued, trusted, and insightful work colleague. We were discussing this subject, something she is familiar with, and suggested that body dysmorphia could be the core issue here. Since that conversation, I’ve read up on the condition and, whilst I have much more reading and research to conduct, it really does seem that I suffer from this. Again, I’ll be writing about this in a dedicated post very soon.

Another theme I’ve recently been pondering is finding life more comfortable as I age, particularly how it seems to be easier to live a more contented life these days. Linked to this is the concept of JOMO (the Joy Of Missing Out) as opposed to the concept of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). I’ll be writing about this soon, plus there are many other ideas spinning around in my head which need to spill out onto the page soon.

So, in summary, I’ll be carrying on with the blog. It feels the right things to do, and I genuinely enjoy writing these posts. I am going to spend time this year considering how to build the audience and increase the reach of my posts, across several social media platforms. I don’t know how many times each post is read (I really do need to sort that and put appropriate measuring mechanisms in place) and, whilst I’m not doing this for the social media likes and comments (though they’re always welcome), it is good to know that my content resonates with people from time to time (and I’ve had some wonderful, open and honest conversations with a good number of people thank to this blog). That is one of the main reasons I started the blog, along with wanting to build up a body of work which would prove I wasn’t some flash-in-the-pan chancer jumping aboard the ever more prominent ‘let’s discuss mental health’ movement. Hopefully, after 160 posts to date, I’ve proved this isn’t the case.

As always, thanks for reading and take care.

Best wishes.

Mick