Eight years ago, I left university, my mental health shattered. Seven years ago, the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust’s Wellbeing Programme became one of my lifelines.

Leaving University

When I was younger, I enjoyed designing book covers for an online reading website. I decided to study Graphic Design at university level, hoping to become a book designer after graduating. University is a time for exciting new beginnings, academic freedom, and in my case, crippling anxiety. For some, the pressure to succeed, the social whirlwind, and the weight of newfound independence can take a serious toll on mental health. I found myself drowning in a sea of anxiety and depression, struggling to cope with the demands of university life, and feeling utterly lost. My passion began to erode and was replaced by a sense of apathy and disengagement. The pressure to succeed felt suffocating.

I’ve never been good at social interaction, but I was four hours away from home and determined to at least try to make friends. To start with, I became friends with two people on the course and in the beginning, it really wasn’t so bad! Until my social anxiety began to take a significant toll… I began to withdraw, avoiding social gatherings, and retreating into a shell of anxiety and self-doubt. My mental health declined: dropping out of university ultimately felt like an act of self-preservation, a recognition that my mental health was more important than academic achievement. It was a step towards reclaiming my sense of self and finding a path back to wellness.

Finding Solace in Nature

A few months of recovery later and Tracy, my psychological wellbeing officer, referred me to the Wellbeing programme at Wiltshire Wildlife Trust to try and improve my mental health through nature. Despite growing up around horses, I never considered myself an outdoorsy person, so the referral came as a surprise to me.

The programme itself was a revelation. Walks through the woodlands, mindful observations of birdlife and butterflies, whittling sessions, small tree felling, and making a birdhouse – which now lives in my family’s garden and houses blue tits each year! – were just some of the activities we got stuck into.

The result of connecting with nature and interacting with other people in similar situations wasn’t immediate. It took months for me to gain the confidence to socialise, but slowly, I started to engage more with the group. The shared experience of finding solace in nature fostered a sense of understanding that I hadn’t anticipated. The weekly sessions became a welcome break from the anxieties that had been plaguing me, and it wasn’t long until I felt able to pursue full-time work in retail.

A new chapter

I will forever be thankful for the Wildlife Trust, along with that first job where I spent 6 years. They helped me to grow as an individual, develop valuable life skills, and find a renewed sense of purpose.

I never thought I’d return to university, but here I am, facing a new chapter! I’ve rediscovered my passion for creativity, now channeling it into creative writing. The experience of navigating mental health challenges has profoundly shaped my identity, and so I am undertaking a personal project for my second-year module.

I am opening submissions for an anthology of poetry and artwork with the theme of mental health and self-identity. The book will feature both the positive and the darker thoughts and emotions of these delicate themes. It will be self-published through Amazon on 19^th May with all profits donated to the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. Perhaps, like me, you have lived through the highs and lows of mental health, and maybe even found solace through nature, and now want to share that experience; the deadline for submissions is 31^st March.

Click the following link to read the terms and conditions, learn more about the project, and how to submit your work: https://linktr.ee/hsbookcovers