Now I've become an NHS Volunteer, my state of mind has improved immeasurably.

Meeting and talking to literally hundreds of people during each shift at Home Park has lit my fire again. For me the big problem was not interacting with human beings face to face. Now I do, I am in a far far better place.

People have been saying 'well done' etc, but I did tt for purely selfish reasons and it has worked out really well.

I would recommend it for anyone, I really do.

Very honest to say for selfish reasons. I suspect you get satisfaction in helping people. That's often overlooked in strategies to improve mental health

Now I've become an NHS Volunteer, my state of mind has improved immeasurably.

Meeting and talking to literally hundreds of people during each shift at Home Park has lit my fire again. For me the big problem was not interacting with human beings face to face. Now I do, I am in a far far better place.

People have been saying 'well done' etc, but I did it for purely selfish reasons and it has worked out really well.

I would recommend it for anyone, I really do.

Ian, whether intentional or unintentional, your action of volunteering to assist is to be congratulated. The fact that you feel better about it is just a bonus. So well done, mate.

Fawlty

Hello! I'm new to Pasoti, but have been following Argyle ever since I moved here many years ago. It's so good to see a safe space where folk can be themselves and open up. So many men, in particular, find it hard to talk. There's no shame in saying you're not OK, and the chances are, the person you're speaking to isn't OK, either. This lockdown is tough for everyone, isn't it?

Just a suggestion for improving the state of your mind. At around the time of my retirement 12 years ago I read an article explaining the importance of keeping your mind active, and recommending learning a language or a musical instrument. I was already learning french, and I duly took up the banjo.

Fast forward 11 years and I can’t count the number of friends who, like me, have thanked the heavens that they have been learning an instrument. No matter how badly or frustratingly, the simple absorption of trying to do something that doesn’t come naturally takes your mind off all the daily issues linked to lockdown. It reminds me of when things got tense at work, but an hour or so on my dinghy on the Exe, and the world looked a bit brighter.