🧠 In My Own Rhythm: May Reflections + Creators I Love

Mental Health, Lightly Held (Special Edition)

May 22, 2025

stack of jigsaw puzzle pieces — Photo by Hans-Peter Gauster on Unsplash

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. As the World Health Organisation (WHO) reminds us, “there is no health without Mental Health.” Last week, I took some intentional “me time” in honour of UK Mental Health Awareness Week and it reminded me of something powerful:

🌀 It isn’t just about how much you’re doing — it’s also about who you’re doing it around.

This idea ties closely to what I shared in my recent video on Blue Zones (3.5K+ views and counting on LinkedIn 🙏).

In the world’s longest-living communities, people don’t just live longer because of what they eat — they live longer because they’re surrounded by people who uplift them.

Aligned relationships aren’t a luxury. They’re a lifeline.

As a British-trained Psychiatrist with 25 years of experience, I know this truth deeply — both from the research and from the consulting room. And it’s why this post looks a little different from the usual.

Community is Medicine, Connection is Healing ~ Dr Anney V

black concrete road surrounded by brown rocks — Photo by Jake Blucker on Unsplash

🔔 What I’m Building Next (And Why It Matters)

This month, instead of pushing myself to collaborate widely, I did something more honest: I paused. I listened. And I curated.

I asked a bold, simple question to fellow creators I admire — each from a different walk of life:

“What’s one sentence on something that helps you protect your mental health as a creator or human?”

But before I share their wisdom — let me tell you what I’m working on.

🧩 Big Picture: After nearly 25 years in clinical psychiatry, I’m building a more sustainable, impactful way of sharing my expertise, using my pen and my voice. I genuinely see Words as Medicine.

💡 I specialise in the overlap of ADHD and Autism (AuDHD), especially how it shows up in burnout, perfectionism, masking and mental health problems.

🌱 And I’m building a clear offer to support neurodivergent professionals — starting with a live event:

🎤 Upcoming Webinar: Understanding the ADHD / AuDHD Brain

🧠 Feeling Your Best Self

📅 Register here on Eventbrite

Whether you’re neurodivergent, burnt out, or just curious — I’d love for you to join me. This is the first step in a series of offers built to help people like you reclaim clarity, capacity, and calm.

💬 Have a question or experience with ADHD or AuDHD you want me to address? Reply to this post — I’ll weave it into the session where I can.

person holding light bulb — Photo by Diego PH on Unsplash

🧠 My Own Reflection: “The Yellow Light Rule”

I’ve been thinking about how I would answer the same question that I asked these creators.

I’d answer it with the Yellow Light Rule:

🟡 “If green means go and red means stop — yellow is your invitation to pause, breathe, and check in with yourself.”

This means giving yourself Permission to Move, Grow, Let go ~ at your own pace ~ in your own time ~ in your own rhythm.

So many of us power through life in green or red mode — urgent, reactive, overextended. But the truth is, resilience isn’t about constant motion.

It’s about rhythm. And rhythm requires rest.

💭 Reflection for you:

Where in your week could you add a yellow light — a moment to pause before reacting, replying, or running on autopilot?

hands formed together with red heart paint — Photo by Tim Marshall on Unsplash

🖋️ Creator Highlights

So this post is the result of an idea that came to me a few days ago, when I read about The Friendship Bench posted by Blue Zones. I visualised a bench with some of my favourite writers and creators here, sat next to me. I curiously wondered what I would ask them, if they were right in front of me. With busy lives, I knew it had to be something that would take less than a minute of their time.

“What’s one sentence on something that helps you protect your mental health as a creator or human?”

So when I reached out and put this simple question about mental health to them, I was blown away with the responses and the speed with which the answers flowed. I held their responses close to my heart, just like I did when patients in my consulting room shared their stories with me. I am truly honoured and humbled that they trusted me with their words, just like my patients trusted me with theirs.

I truly believe in the idea of community as medicine, and connecting what was in my mind with other creators’ words. I am glad I am bringing this into the light for everyone to see. It took a lot of strength and courage for me to ask. But I am glad I did.

The words you’re going to read are precious nuggets of wisdom from fellow travelers who have also shown courage to share what helps them lead happier, healthier lives — each one offering something honest, offbeat, or gently grounding.

(Listed alphabetically by first name — to keep it generous and ego-free.)

Alex Katsulis

https://substack.com/@alexkatsulis

“No matter what life throws at me, understanding my emotions helps me see the full picture of an experience, so that I can always reframe the experience in a way that brings me more peace.”

Ana Harrison

https://substack.com/@anaharrison

“One thing that helps me protect my mental health as a creator is keeping a “done” list alongside my to-do list. Seeing what I’ve already created or completed helps quiet the inner critic and keeps me focused on progress, not perfection.”

Astrid Sadaya

https://substack.com/@astridsadaya

“For your prompt, I would normally and easily say meditation because that’s the most effective way that I discovered to help me personally, to breathe and remind myself of how blessed we are to be alive, and how important it is to live with purpose. By thinking about this, I create to celebrate my life and to inspire others while I can.”

Claudia Faith

https://substack.com/@claudiafaith

“Trust the process. Always. Because as a writer and creator, it’s so easy to get caught up in numbers, comparison, and feeling like you’re not doing enough. But most of the real growth, personally and creatively, happens slowly, quietly, and often behind the scenes. That reminder helps me stay grounded and keep showing up, even when things feel uncertain.”

Cody Isabel | Neuroscience

https://substack.com/@mindbrainbodylab

“My one thing, is prioritizing my own Parts work & physical health (exercise, sleep, nutrition, etc) and then taking time to examine my own patterns and Parts so that I can heal the underlying core wounds that drive my behaviors day to day.”

Dr. Bronce Rice

https://substack.com/@broncerice1

“As a therapist who meets with people to explore the messiness of life and who they are beneath the surface of ordinary living, I know my ability to do this work depends on how honestly I’m willing to meet myself—which is why I continue my own inner work in therapy, so I can better navigate my internal world as I help others navigate theirs.”

Kyle Shepard

https://substack.com/@kyleshepard10

“One thing that protects my mental health as a human is my intention around conscious breathing. The breath is a bridge to our subconscious autonomic nervous system. When we experience stress, adding intention to our breathing, particularly extended nasal exhales, is an efficient way to manage and eventually recover from that experience.”

Landon Poburan

https://substack.com/@landonpoburan

“Remember you do not need to take the traditional path or do what everyone else is doing to be successful.”

Philip Hofmacher

https://substack.com/@philiphofmacher

“Taking on physical challenges like 75 Hard or a 100km hike when not working on my business helps me stay mentally strong and focused as a creator.”

Rodney Daut 🔥🪵⛺️

https://substack.com/@rodneydaut

“My one tip is to use a process called WOOP which stands for Wish, Outcome, Obstacle and Plan. You decide what you want (wish), then think of the best outcome and visualize it (outcome), then determine the main inner obstacle such as fear and visualize that, too (obstacle), then come up with a plan to overcome it. Takes about 3–5 minutes but is super helpful.”

Sara Redondo, MD

https://substack.com/@sararedondomd

“Being in nature soothes my mind, and genuine moments of connection fill me with joy. They’re my reset in the moments that feel too heavy to hold.”

Tamy Faierman M.D.

https://substack.com/@tamyfaierman

“Taking time to meditate daily is extremely supportive in tuning my mental instrument before going out into the world, as a musician would tune their instrument before a concert.”

Veronica Llorca-Smith

https://substack.com/@veronicallorcasmith

“I’m learning to build the courage to say no to the things that drain me and yes to the ones that lift me up.”

💛 A Thank You Note to the Contributors

To every creator who responded with such honesty and speed — thank you. You reminded me that generous community can still be created asynchronously, across time zones and niches.

If this post resonates with even one person because of something you said, then your sentence became someone else’s lifeline. That’s no small thing.

I’d love to hear from everyone reading, and I’m sure the creators who shared their thoughts here would love to as well.

Wishing you good mental health not just for May, but every day!

Dr Anney V

Writing with courage and clarity

From the home of The Calm and Confident Mind

The Calm & Confident Mind

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