I started the book when I went back to therapy lastyear. It was just for me to be very open to myself. Isuppose it was therapeutic, but it was also incrediblydifficult at the same time. But I am better for it inthe end, so yeah, it’s a nice milestone, in a way. It’snot something I ever thought I would do, but I wassitting at home. I thought, ‘well, I have nothing tolose,’ At the very least, people might resonate withit, and it may encourage others to speak up and goand seek help.My go-to is the gym and my diet. If I notice myselfstarting to not feel great, I’ll look at what I’m consumingand try to get it as clean as I can. I’m notobsessive or anything, but I’ll try to avoid alcoholand pizzas - you know, stuff like that. I’ll try andswap them out for healthier stuff and then incorporatethe gym and meditation. I find it really helpfulto reset myself when I’m feeling particularlyanxious. Still, I’ll admit when I first started meditation,I couldn’t keep it up because I just wanted itto work instantly, but doing things in small dosesconsistently is the best way to get started. WimHof breathing, too, I got into that recently enough.I think it is known to be very useful for anxiety. Inparticular, it helps me in a similar way to meditation.I know in Ireland, particularly among lads, there isstill this attitude to just soak things up and it willbe grand. Still, you end up sitting on your issuesand never speaking about them. I have friendsI have known for years who I never knew werestruggling, but they read the book and told me itencouraged them to get help and thanked me forit. So although it was difficult for me to do, I’m glad Idid it. It helped me for the better, and my main drivefor it is that it starts to help other people too.We know talking about these things can’t be easy.Some of our readers may not be at that stage yet,so we like to ask all our guests if they have foundany helpful tips or coping mechanisms that helpthem in the darker times that they may be able totry out safely at home first.But honestly, talking to friends and therapy reallyis the most important and helpful thing for me - oh,and music, I do have a love/hate relationship withit, but at the end of the day, I always find myself sittingat a piano, zoning out and forgetting about itall.The album Our Roots Run Deep is available toown, download and stream from October 14th atkodaline.com, including some exclusive limitededition coloured vinyl. High Hopes is also availableto purchase now, both physically and digitally.Words: Jade Poulters44
THE OTHERBRONTE SISTER45