Bryony Gordon on her new book about mental wellness and riding a ‘coronacoaster’

Virgin Radio

8 Jan 2021, 12:20

The author and journalist joined the Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky to talk about battling her way through lockdown, looking after her mental health and how to get off the ride we don't want to be on.

She explained that her previous dark days had almost prepared her for the pandemic. She said: “In the run up to the first lockdown I took it in my stride, whereas the people who have previously not had any kind of mental health crisis really struggled.

“I realised that a lot of the things that I had thought were flaws and failures in my life like the OCD, depression and alcoholism were actually more like super powers. I had learned so much. 

“As someone who's experienced mental illness, I have been preparing for the end of the world since I was nine and so when the end of the world as we knew it happened I was like ‘this is OK’ and it was.

“I have learned a lot about wellness and so I wanted to put it all in a book because you get a lot of mental health advice out there that's quite vague and woolly. You know, meditate or do mindfulness but trying to do that when you're in crisis is like asking someone in a lead suit to go for a swim…

“I spoke to lots of GPS, doctors and counsellors about how best to access the system and what there is available so there's that practical element to it too.”

She said about losing our heads on the ‘coronocoaster’: “Everyone's having their emotions pulled up and down on a coronacoaster - that's what I heard someone describe it as - but it is the speed at which it changes which is really damaging to your mental health.

“I think the most important thing is to be able to step back and breathe, and not get lost in social media. That’s possibly the worst thing to do. 

“Go out and take that exercise you're allowed to and connect with people in a real way rather than shouting on Twitter.

“We’re all being separated and turned against each other and I think fundamentally that's bad. We need to follow the rules, do what we're told, pull together and remember the bigger picture...

“This too shall pass and I'm like, but when will it pass? I can't tell you when but it will, it totally will, and we will get through this.”