It can be really hard when you suffer from a mental illness to see the brighter side of life. Your thoughts consume you and you feel hopeless. Whenever I feel this way, I try to remind myself of the good I have in this world. I remind myself of the things that bring me and joy and make me happy. I do this exercise as a reminder to my brain that things are better than I think they are.

I read a book that a therapist wrote a few years ago when I was at my lowest mentally, and it gave this really good learning technique. It was saying out loud to yourself that you acknowledge your feelings. This triggers something in your brain so that you recognise that it is just thoughts, it’s not real or present. Doing this exercise and saying out loud the good things you have in life can help in the same way. It’s like you’re talking to a friend or a family member, reminding them everything will be okay. But instead you are talking to yourself.