Self-care - New Leaf College

🧭 Navigating This Blog

Hearing about the experiences of others, and sharing tools and tips to support recovery, is one of the foundations of our culture. We can create connections by sharing about our lived experience – especially those that offer inspiration and hope.

Recovery in mental health is not always well understood; sharing your experiences makes personal recovery come alive. It also supports values and strengthens lessons learned from life experiences. It helps to build community and create connections.

You can find lots of inspirational stories; use the search bar at the top to find stories relevant to you. To return to this page after a search, please press the back button in your browser.

✍️ Share Your Experiences

If you are a registered student and would like to share about your experience, please contact us.

You can read more student experiences on our testimonials page and student development programme page.

📰 Newsletters

To make our website and newsletters more accessible from 2025 onwards, all blogs, tips and articles published in our e-newsletters will be published on this page.

You can also read PDF newsletters published before 2025.

📝 Write for the Blog

We welcome students who are interested in writing blogs, sharing reflections, or contributing creative content to support others on their recovery journey.

Get started by visiting the following links:

📄 Download the Contributor Information Pack
🖊️ Read the Blogger Guidelines
📌 Visit our Opportunities Page for other ways to contribute, including the student e-newsletter, website and more.

If you have any questions or ideas, please contact us at newleaf.wellbeingcollege@nhs.net.

Blog, Self-care

Spring Cleaning and (my) recovery

Maddie

A heartfelt personal story about how spring cleaning played a big part in one person's mental health recovery journey. Discover how creating a clean and organised environment helped boost mood, reduce stress, and build confidence. Plus, get practical tips for your own spring cleaning routine.

Blog, Keeping active and physical exercise, Self-care

Movement for wellbeing

How making it a part of your holistic approach to mental health and wellbeing will benefit you.

Louisa

When considering techniques to improve mental health, New Leaf Recovery and Wellbeing College recommends that individuals take a holistic approach and utilise practical tools to support positive changes. Read the blog to find out why and how you can incorprate movement into your everyday life.

Blog, Interview, Resilience, Self-care

Antidepressants to help personal recovery

Paulami - HPFT Mental Health Pharmacist

Paulami, Mental Health Pharmacist, provides some helpful information on how antidepressant medication can help with personal
recovery.

Blog, Mindfulness, Self-care

Living with intent

How living in the moment, self-care and being kind to yourself is a win-win

Roxanne

Roxanne shares how living in the moment, adopting self-care strategies and being kind to themslves helps to improve their mental health and wellbeing.

Blog, Resilience, Self-care

Money worries and Mental Health

Changing the cycle

Lauren

Lauren discovers how money and mental health affect one another and shares how using recovery-focused practices has helped to improve her financial situation. Lauren also delves into the negative and positive consequences of experiencing the money and mental health cycle.

Blog, Resilience, Self-acceptance, Self-care

The anti new-years resolution

Acknowledging, accepting and embracing failure

Mollie

Mollie shares their unexpected thoughts brought on by the new year; including how they plan to curate a future where failure does not control them, and all the exciting possibilities that will come with this new way of living.

Blog, Resilience, Spiritual self-care, Self-care

Creating love, hope and joy over Christmas and Hannukah

My Top 10 tips for keeping stress and depression at bay

Abigail

Abigail shares their 10 top tips for being stress free at Christmas and Hanukkah so that they can enjoy the festivities whilst keeping depression at bay.

Blog, Keeping active and physical exercise, Spiritual self-care, Self-care

Being (outside in the) cold improved my mental health

A student story

Tamara